What is a word in America meaning tap?

There isn't one single word in America that perfectly means "tap" in all contexts. It depends on what kind of "tap" you're referring to:

* For water: The most common word is faucet.

* For tapping on something: You can use tap itself, but other words like knock, hit, or strike could also be used depending on the context.

* For tapping into a resource: You could use access, exploit, or utilize.

* For tapping a phone line: The word tap is still used, though it's less common nowadays.

So, to get the right word, you need to give more context!