Meanings
plural ballcocks · alternative ball cock · alternative ball-cock
- An automated valve mechanism, attached to a large floating sphere, that controls the level of liquid in a cistern.First known use 18th c.
Next he examined a faint trace of talcum powder on the inner rim of the porcelain handle of the clothes cupboard. It appeared immaculate. He went into the bathroom, lifted the cover of the lavatory cistern and verified the level of the water against a small scratch on the copper ball-cock.
1953, Ian Fleming, “The Secret Agent”, in Casino Royale, London: Pan Books, published 1955, page 13Synonyms: balltap, float valve, ball valve
Synonyms & antonyms
nounAn automated valve mechanism, attached to a large floating sphere, that controls the level of liquid in a cistern.
More synonyms by meaning
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Proto-Indo-European*bʰel-
- Proto-Germanic*balluz
- Old English*beall
- Middle Englishbal
- Englishball
- Proto-Germanic*keukô
- Proto-Germanic*kukkaz
- Proto-West Germanic*kokk
- Old Englishcocc
- Middle Englishcok
- Englishcock
- Englishballcock
From ball + cock. First attested in 1734.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Finnish uimuri
- uimurivalve mechanism
German Schwimmerventil, Füllventil
- Schwimmerventilvalve mechanism
- Füllventilvalve mechanism
Cite this entry
ballcock. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ballcock
“ballcock.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ballcock. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “ballcock,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ballcock.
Source: ballcock on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.