The tap or valve on a pipe that you turn to shut off, or let through, the water or gas inside. It is not the tap you wash your hands at — it is the control one, usually hidden: under the kitchen sink, in a cupboard, out by the street under a small metal cover.

the tap or valve那個水龍頭或閥門 on a pipe裝在水管上 that you turn你轉動它 to shut off, or let through, the water or gas inside就能關掉或放行裡面的水或瓦斯 it is not the tap you wash your hands at它不是你洗手用的那種水龍頭 it is the control one它是控制用的那個 usually hidden通常藏起來 under the kitchen sink, in a cupboard, out by the street under a small metal cover在廚房水槽底下、在櫥櫃裡，或在路邊一個小鐵蓋底下

Every house has one, and the moment you need it is the moment a pipe bursts, which is why plumbers in Britain ask 'do you know where your stopcock is?' The word is mainly British; American plumbers usually say shut-off valve or the main.

every house has one每間房子都有一個 and the moment you need it你需要用到它的那一刻 is the moment a pipe bursts就是水管爆裂的那一刻 which is why這就是為什麼 plumbers in Britain ask英國水電工會問 'do you know where your stopcock is?'（你知道你家的stopcock在哪嗎） the word is mainly British這個詞主要是英式用法 American plumbers usually say美國水電工通常會說 shut-off valve or the mainshut-off valve或the main

It sounds technical but ordinary people use it — it is the word on the plumber's bill and in the letter from the water company. There is also a rare verb, to stopcock something, meaning to fit or close such a valve, but you will almost never meet it.

it sounds technical它聽起來很專業 but ordinary people use it但一般人也會用 it is the word on the plumber's bill它會出現在水電工的帳單上 and in the letter from the water company也會出現在自來水公司寄來的信裡 there is also a rare verb還有一個少見的動詞用法 to stopcock something把某個東西stopcock meaning to fit or close such a valve意思是裝上或關上這種閥 but you will almost never meet it但你幾乎不會遇到