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Tap vs. Stopcock — What's the Difference?

Difference Between Tap and Stopcock

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Definitions

Tap

A device by which a flow of liquid or gas from a pipe or container can be controlled
She turned the cold tap on
The air-supply tap

Stopcock

A stopcock is a form of valve used to control the flow of a liquid or gas. The term is not precise and is applied to many different types of valve.

Tap

A device connected to a telephone for listening secretly to someone's conversations
Those taps produced hundreds of hours of recordings

Stopcock

An externally operated valve regulating the flow of a liquid or gas through a pipe, in particular one on the water main supplying a house
In many houses, the main stopcock is situated under the kitchen sink

Tap

An instrument for cutting a threaded hole in a material.
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Stopcock

A valve that regulates the flow of fluid through a pipe; a faucet.

Tap

A taproom.

Stopcock

A valve, tap or faucet which regulates the flow of liquid or gas through a pipe.

Tap

A quick light blow, or the sound of such a blow
There was a sharp tap at the door

Stopcock

(British) A main shutoff#Noun for water to a home from a municipal supply. Usually these valves exist in pairs, one outside the property boundary and one inside the property boundary.
If you have a burst pipe, turn the water off at the stopcock.
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Tap

Tap dancing
A rhythm much used in tap

Stopcock

(transitive) To control the gas pressure in (an oil well) by keeping the well closed in and the gas confined except during set intervals when the oil is flowed or pumped.

Tap

A bugle call for lights to be put out in army quarters
The bugler played taps

Stopcock

A bib, faucet, or short pipe, fitted with a turning stopper or plug for permitting or restraining the flow of a liquid or gas; a cock or valve for checking or regulating the flow of water, gas, etc., through or from a pipe, etc.

Tap

Draw liquid through the tap or spout of (a cask, barrel, or other container)
Several barrels had been tapped to celebrate old victories

Stopcock

The turning plug, stopper, or spigot of a faucet.

Tap

Exploit or draw a supply from (a resource)
Clients from industry seeking to tap Edinburgh's resources of expertise
These magazines have tapped into a target market of consumers

Stopcock

Faucet consisting of a rotating device for regulating flow of a liquid

Tap

Connect a device to (a telephone) so that conversation can be listened to secretly
The telephones were tapped by the state security police

Tap

Cut a thread in (something) to accept a screw
On most vices, the metal jaws are drilled and tapped to accept screws

Tap

Strike with a quick light blow or blows
One of my staff tapped me on the shoulder

Tap

Approach (a sports player) unlawfully with a view to signing them to another club while they are still under contract with their current one.

Tap

Designate or select (someone) for a task or honour, especially membership of an organization or committee
He had been tapped earlier to serve in Costa Rica

Tap

To strike gently with a light blow or blows
I tapped you on the shoulder to get your attention.

Tap

To give a light rap with
Tap a pencil.

Tap

To produce with a succession of light blows
Tap out a rhythm.

Tap

To select, as for membership in an organization; designate.

Tap

To repair (shoe heels or toes) by applying a thin layer of leather or a substitute material.

Tap

To attach metal plates to (shoe toes or heels).

Tap

To deliver a gentle, light blow or blows.

Tap

To walk making light clicks.

Tap

To tap-dance.

Tap

To furnish with a spigot or tap.

Tap

To pierce in order to draw off liquid
Tap a maple tree.

Tap

To draw (liquid) from a vessel or container
Tap a new keg of beer.

Tap

(Medicine) To withdraw fluid from (a body cavity).

Tap

To make a physical connection with or open outlets from
Tap a water main.

Tap

To wiretap (a telephone or communications channel).

Tap

To establish an electric connection in (a power line), as to divert current secretly.

Tap

To establish access to or a connection with
Tapped a new market for inexpensive books.

Tap

To take advantage of; make use of
Tapped voter anger to win the election.

Tap

To cut screw threads in (a collar, socket, or other fitting).

Tap

(Informal) To ask (a person) for money.

Tap

A gentle blow.

Tap

The sound made by such a blow.

Tap

A thin layer of leather or a substitute applied to a worn-down shoe heel or toe.

Tap

A metal plate attached to the toe or heel of a shoe, as for tap-dancing.

Tap

Tap dance.

Tap

(Linguistics) See flap.

Tap

A valve and spout used to regulate delivery of a fluid at the end of a pipe.

Tap

A plug for a bunghole; a spigot.

Tap

Liquor drawn from a spigot.

Tap

Liquor of a particular brew, cask, or quality.

Tap

(Medicine) The removal of fluid from a body cavity
A spinal tap.

Tap

A tool for cutting an internal screw thread.

Tap

A makeshift terminal in an electric circuit.

Tap

A wiretap.

Tap

A tapering cylindrical pin or peg used to stop the vent in a cask.

Tap

A device used to dispense liquids.
We don't have bottled water; you'll have to get it from the tap.

Tap

Liquor drawn through a tap; hence, a certain kind or quality of liquor.
A liquor of the same tap

Tap

A place where liquor is drawn for drinking.

Tap

(mechanics) A device used to cut an internal screw thread. (External screw threads are cut with a die.)
We drilled a hole and then cut the threads with the proper tap to match the valve's thread.

Tap

A connection made to an electrical or fluid conductor without breaking it.
The system was barely keeping pressure due to all of the ill-advised taps along its length.

Tap

An interception of communication by authority.

Tap

A device used to listen in secretly on telephone calls.

Tap

A procedure that removes fluid from a body cavity.
Abdominal tap
Pleural tap
Spinal tap

Tap

(finance) The situation where a borrowing government authority issues bonds over a period of time, usually at a fixed price, with volumes sold on a particular day dependent on market conditions.
Tap issue; a bond tap

Tap

A gentle or slight blow; a light rap; a pat.
When Steve felt a tap on his shoulder, he turned around.

Tap

(dance) tap dance

Tap

The act of touching a touch screen.

Tap

A piece of leather fastened upon the bottom of a boot or shoe in repairing or renewing the sole or heel.

Tap

(military) A signal, by drum or trumpet, for extinguishing all lights in soldiers' quarters and retiring to bed; usually given about a quarter of an hour after tattoo.

Tap

(phonetics) A consonant sound made by a single muscle contraction, such as the sound [ɾ] in the standard American English pronunciation of body.

Tap

An Indian malarial fever.

Tap

To furnish with taps.
If we tap the maple trees, we can get maple syrup!

Tap

To draw off liquid from a vessel.
He tapped a new barrel of beer.

Tap

To deplete, especially of a liquid via a tap; to tap out.

Tap

To exploit.
Businesses are trying to tap the youth market.

Tap

To place a listening or recording device on a telephone or wired connection.
They can't tap the phone without a warrant.

Tap

To intercept a communication without authority.
He was known to tap cable television.

Tap

(mechanical) To cut an internal screw thread.
Tap an M3 thread all the way through the hole.

Tap

To turn or flip a card or playing piece to remind players that it has already been used that turn (by analogy to "tapping," in the sense of drawing on to the point of temporary exhaustion, the resources or abilities represented by the card).

Tap

(informal) To cadge, borrow or beg.
I tried to tap a cigarette off him, but he wouldn't give me one.

Tap

To drain off fluid by paracentesis.

Tap

To advance someone for a post or job, or for membership of a club.
Trump interviewed Mueller for FBI job day before he was tapped for special counsel.

Tap

To strike lightly.
She tapped him on the shoulder to get his attention.

Tap

To touch one's finger, foot, or other body parts on a surface (usually) repeatedly.
He was so nervous he began to tap his fingers on the table.
She tapped her companion on the back to indicate that she was ready to go.
Lydia tapped Jim on the shoulder to get his attention.

Tap

To make a sharp noise.
The tree, swaying in the breeze, began to tap on the window pane.

Tap

(graphical user interface) To operate an electronic device (e.g. a mobile phone) by tapping a specific place on its (capacitive or other) touch screen.

Tap

To designate for some duty or for membership, as in 'a tap on the shoulder'.

Tap

To have sexual intercourse with.
I would tap that hot girl over there.
I'd tap that.

Tap

(combat sports) To submit to an opponent by tapping one's hand repeatedly.

Tap

To force (an opponent) to submit.

Tap

To put a new sole or heel on.
To tap shoes

Tap

To strike with a slight or gentle blow; to touch gently; to rap lightly; to pat; as, to tap one with the hand or a cane.

Tap

To put a new sole or heel on; as, to tap shoes.

Tap

To strike a gentle blow.

Tap

To pierce so as to let out, or draw off, a fluid; as, to tap a cask, a tree, a tumor, a keg of beer, etc.

Tap

Hence, to draw resources from (a reservoir) in any analogous way; as, to tap someone's knowledge of the Unix system; to tap the treasury.

Tap

To draw, or cause to flow, by piercing.
He has been tapping his liquors.

Tap

To form an internal screw in (anything) by means of a tool called a tap; as, to tap a nut, a pipe, or tubing.

Tap

To connect a listening device to (a telephone or telegraph line) secretly, for the purpose of hearing private conversations; also, to obtain or record (information) by tapping; - a technique used by law enforcement agencies investigating suspected criminals. In the United States it is illegal without a court order permitting it.

Tap

A gentle or slight blow; a light rap; a pat.

Tap

A piece of leather fastened upon the bottom of a boot or shoe in repairing or renewing the sole or heel.

Tap

A signal, by drum or trumpet, for extinguishing all lights in soldiers' quarters and retiring to bed, - usually given about a quarter of an hour after tattoo.

Tap

A hole or pipe through which liquor is drawn.

Tap

A plug or spile for stopping a hole pierced in a cask, or the like; a faucet.

Tap

Liquor drawn through a tap; hence, a certain kind or quality of liquor; as, a liquor of the same tap.

Tap

A place where liquor is drawn for drinking; a taproom; a bar.

Tap

A tool for forming an internal screw, as in a nut, consisting of a hardened steel male screw grooved longitudinally so as to have cutting edges.

Tap

The sound made by a gentle blow

Tap

A faucet for drawing water from a pipe or cask

Tap

A gentle blow

Tap

A small metal plate that attaches to the toe or heel of a shoe (as in tap dancing)

Tap

A tool for cutting female (internal) screw threads

Tap

A plug for a bunghole in a cask

Tap

The act of tapping a telephone or telegraph line to get information

Tap

A light touch or stroke

Tap

Cut a female screw thread with a tap

Tap

Draw from or dip into to get something;
Tap one's memory
Tap a source of money

Tap

Strike lightly;
He tapped me on the shoulder

Tap

Draw from; make good use of;
We must exploit the resources we are given wisely

Tap

Tap a telephone or telegraph wire to get information;
The FBI was tapping the phone line of the suspected spy
Is this hotel room bugged?

Tap

Furnish with a tap or spout, so as to be able to draw liquid from it;
Tap a cask of wine

Tap

Make light, repeated taps on a surface;
He was tapping his fingers on the table impatiently

Tap

Walk with a tapping sound

Tap

Dance and make rhythmic clicking sounds by means of metal plates nailed to the sole of the dance shoes;
Glover tapdances better than anybody

Tap

Draw (liquor) from a tap;
Tap beer in a bar

Tap

Pierce in order to draw a liquid from;
Tap a maple tree for its syrup
Tap a keg of beer

Tap

Make a solicitation or entreaty for something; request urgently or persistently;
Henry IV solicited the Pope for a divorce
My neighbor keeps soliciting money for different charities

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