ballcockn.
/ˈbɔːlkɒk/, U.S. /ˈbɔlˌkɑk/, /ˈbɑlˌkɑk/ A self-regulating cistern tap turned off and on by the rising or falling of a hollow ball, which floats on the surface of the liquid and is connected to the tap by a lever.
ΘΚΠ
society > occupation and work > equipment > other specific types of equipment > [noun] > tap > types of
washer1596
plug1707
ballcock1734
bib cock1797
draw-off1826
plug cock1826
screw tap1842
waste-cock1844
ball tap1849
self-tapping1878
mixing valve1902
mixer tap1936
combination tap1951
mixer1973
1734 W. Salmon Palladio Londinensis vi. 60 Ball Cocks, the Ball 6 Inches in Diameter, the Cocks one Inch, at each 12 s.
1874 E. H. Knight Amer. Mech. Dict. I. 558/1 A house-service pipe a, provided with a ball-cock b, and a rose to strain the water.
1978 R. P. Singhal Home Plumber's Bible vii. 180 Place the new spud washer..in place and inset the ball-cock assembly through it.
1997 W. Dalrymple From Holy Mountain (1998) ii. 63 There are no bulbs in the light sockets, no ballcocks in the lavatories, no water in the taps, no handles on many of the doors.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, June 2008; most recently modified version published online December 2021).
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n.1734