Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

ballcock

/ˈbɔl.kɒk/

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 0.00 in modern English

Syllables: ball-cock
IPA: /ˈbɔl.kɒk/

18

Scrabble Score

8

Letters

2

Syllables

6

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

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

Example Sentences

"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."

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.

Regional Pronunciation

American English: /ˈbɔl.kɒk/
British English: /ˈbɔːl.kɒk/

Inflected Forms

ballcocks (plural) ball cock (alternative) ball-cock (alternative)

Phrases

ball valve

Frequently Paired Words

ball valve

Synonyms

balltap float valve ball valve ball cock

Rhymes With

rock stock block lock shock clock iraq doc knock cock o'clock dock

Questions

How do you pronounce ballcock?: The recorded pronunciation is /ˈbɔl.kɒk/.
What does ballcock mean?: An automated valve mechanism, attached to a large floating sphere, that controls the level of liquid in a cistern.
Where does ballcock come from?: 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.

How to pronounce ballcock

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “ballcock”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/ˈbɔl.kɒk/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
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