stopcock

[ stop-kok ]

noun

1. cock ¹( def 3 ).

stopcock

/ ˈstɒpˌkɒk /

noun

1. a valve used to control or stop the flow of a fluid in a pipe

Word History and Origins

Origin of stopcock¹

First recorded in 1575–85; stop + cock ¹

Example Sentences

While down below, in the engine room, there grow “vines of copper piping and sprouting thermometers, the fuel pumps budded with bolts and flowering stopcocks”.

From Economist

"As ice turns to water in the Arctic, New Atlantis turns stopcocks in London," trumpet the headlines in the newspapers.

From BBC

The image immediately above shows the location of a gas stopcock cover.

From BBC

Just a reason to turn on the stopcock that takes government cash from its source in the Treasury.

From The Guardian

“The stopcock is broken off this manifold and needs to be sealed back together.”

From New York Times

Related Words

• spigot
• valve