spigot
/ˈspɪɡət
/noun
1A small peg or plug, especially for insertion into the vent of a cask.The spigot stem had an annular cutting edge to cut a cylindrical plug out of the bung or stopper by twisting the spigot....
- In most of the designs, the tool is rotated to cut the hole and insert the spigot into the barrel in a single operation.
- When a doctor suggests implanting a ‘shunt’ to ease future operations, the patient is reluctant to have a spigot installed in his head.
2US A tap.To remove the washer, unplug the machine, turn off both water faucets and disconnect the water hoses from the faucets / spigots....
- He eliminated the traditional valve on the spigot and instead used a sliding bit as the gate.
- When the party's over, the vessels revert to soaking tubs (supplied by hot- and cold-water spigots nearby).
2.1A device for controlling the flow of liquid in a tap.The liquid entrance to the spigot is placed well back on the shaft....
- Finally, most of the water is stripped off the surface when the thread leaves the exit spigot, helping the spider to avoid water loss and making its thread even tougher.
- Better-engineered spigots prevent air from entering the bag when you fill your glass - the bag deflates like a balloon - so the wine stays fresh.
3The plain end of a section of a pipe fitting into the socket of the next one.I have done some plumbing, replacing outdoor spigots and sweating them back together....
- Hank had hooked up some hoses together using a spigot on the far side of the barn.
- But in colder parts of the country, unless you have frost-proof spigots, you'll still need to drain the pipes to prevent them from freezing over the winter.
Origin
Middle English: perhaps an alteration of Provençal espigou(n), from Latin spiculum, diminutive of spicum, variant of spica (see spica).