Standard Lemma guide

ballcock

noun · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • Received-Pronunciation: /ˈbɔːl.kɒk/
  • General-American: /ˈbɔl.kɒk/
  • cot-caught-merger: /ˈbɑl.kɒk/
  • rhymes with -ɔːlkɒk
  • CMU ARPABET: B AO1 L K AA1 K Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

An automated valve mechanism, attached to a large floating sphere, that controls the level of liquid in a cistern.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: balltap, float valve, ball valve

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

floating ball that controls level in a water tank

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: ball cock

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: regulator

History

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *bhel-der. Proto-Germanic *balluz Old English *beall Middle English bal English ball Proto-Germanic *keukô Proto-Germanic *kukkaz Proto-West Germanic *kokk Old English cocc Middle English cok English cock English ballcock From ball + cock. First attested in 1734.

Across languages

Translations

3 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • German: Schwimmerventil — valve mechanism
  • German: Füllventil — valve mechanism
  • Finnish: uimuri — valve mechanism