Meaning & use
faucet
Last updated
Meaning
nouncountableAmerican
A device that controls the flow of water, especially in a sink or bathtub.
Grammar: Countable: a faucet, two faucets. In British English, 'tap' is the usual word.
Patterns
- turn on the faucet
- turn off the faucet
- a leaky faucet
Please turn off the faucet when you finish washing your hands.
The faucet in the kitchen has been dripping all night.
She installed a new faucet in the bathroom sink.
Word forms
| plural | faucets |
|---|
Common combinations
- turn on the faucet
- He turned on the faucet to fill the pot.
- turn off the faucet
- Don't forget to turn off the faucet.
- a leaky faucet
- A leaky faucet can waste a lot of water.
- kitchen faucet
- They replaced the old kitchen faucet.
Synonyms and how they differ
Commonly confused: faucet or tap?
faucet vs tap
In British English, 'tap' is the everyday word for a faucet. In American English, 'tap' can also mean a light hit or a wiretap.
Practice
In American English, what do you call the device that controls water in a sink?
Choose one answer.
In the US, the standard word is 'faucet'. 'Tap' is the British term; 'spigot' is a more technical outdoor term; a pipe is the tube that carries water.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “faucet”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.