taper vs deform

taper is a noun but deform is not a noun.

Word	Noun	Adjective	Verb	Adverb
taper	Yes	No	Yes	No
deform	No	No	Yes	No

As verbs, deform is a hypernym of taper; that is, deform is a word with a broader meaning than taper:

Other hypernyms of taper include change form, change shape.

taper (noun)	deform (noun)
stick of wax with a wick in the middle
a loosely woven cord (in a candle or oil lamp) that draws fuel by capillary action up into the flame
the property possessed by a shape that narrows toward a point (as a wedge or cone)
a convex shape that narrows toward a point

taper (verb)	deform (verb)
give a point to	become misshapen
diminish gradually	alter the shape of (something) by stress
	assume a different shape or form
	make formless
	cause (an object) to assume a crooked or angular form
	twist and press out of shape