A taper is a long, thin candle or a thin wooden strip that is used for lighting fires. to become gradually narrower towards one end, or to make something become narrower at one end taper to taper Find out how to taper safely and manage symptoms. Despite the risks associated with opioid use — including high rates of abuse, addiction and accidental overdose — they may still be the best option in certain situations, such as for acute, short-term pain. The speed or frequency of occurrence of an event, usually expressed with respect to time or some other known standard Death rate or mortality rate is the number of deaths in a specified population, usually expressed per 100 000 population, over a given period, usually 1 year Morbidity rate is the number of cases per year of certain diseases in relation to the population in which they occur Infant mortality rate is the number of deaths per year of live-born infants less than 1 year of age