Faucet Is American; Britain Says Tap
A faucet delivers water from a pipe. Britain and America chose different words for the same fitting.
A faucet is a valve controlling the flow of liquid from a pipe. Britain calls it a *tap*, from the wooden peg once driven into a barrel; America says *faucet*, from an Old French word for a bung or spigot. Both words come from barrel technology, and both survived the barrel by several centuries.
- A water valve (American). *Turn off the faucet.*
- Tap — the British equivalent. *A dripping tap.*
- Spigot — a related term. *A barrel spigot.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | faucet | A leaking faucet. |
| Plural | faucets | Two faucets. |
| British | tap | A kitchen tap. |
| Related | spigot | An open spigot. |
| Related | valve | A shut-off valve. |
How it is used in a sentence
- The faucet is dripping.American.
- The tap is dripping.British, same fitting.
- Tap water is from the mains.Both varieties use this phrase.
British and American household words
- tap / faucet — the water fitting
- cupboard / closet — the storage space
- hoover / vacuum — the cleaner
- bin / trash can — the waste container
- cooker / stove — the cooking appliance
From Old French *fausset*, a bung for a barrel, possibly from *falser*, to damage or pierce. *Tap* is Old English *tæppa*, a peg.
Faucet or tap?
Faucet is standard American, tap standard British. Americans still say tap water, however.
Why do both words come from barrels?
Because the technology of controlling liquid flow began with casks, and the vocabulary transferred to plumbing.