spigot

American  

[spig-uht] / ˈspɪg ət /

noun

1. a small peg or plug for stopping the vent of a cask.

2. a peg or plug for stopping the passage of liquid in a faucet or cock.

3. a faucet or cock for controlling the flow of liquid from a pipe or the like.

4. the end of a pipe that enters the enlarged end of another pipe to form a joint.

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spigot British  

/ ˈspɪɡət /

noun

1. a stopper for the vent hole of a cask

2. a tap, usually of wood, fitted to a cask

3. a US name for tap 2

4. a short cylindrical projection on one component designed to fit into a hole on another, esp the male part of a joint ( spigot and socket joint ) between two pipes

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Regionalisms

See faucet.

Etymology

Origin of spigot

1350–1400; Middle English spigot, perhaps < Old French *espigot < Old Provençal espig ( a ) (< Latin spīca ear of grain; spica ) + Old French -ot diminutive suffix

Explanation

If you want to splash in a giant puddle, just leave the spigot open in your backyard. A spigot is a faucet, a device to turn water on and off. If you leave a spigot open, the water will keep flowing. In the U.S., most of us call an indoor valve (in the kitchen or bathroom) a faucet, and the outdoor one a spigot. In other English-speaking places, a spigot is a plug inserted in a cask, or one end of a pipe. It's not uncommon for this word to be pronounced “spicket,” with some dictionaries including that as an acceptable way to say it.

Example Sentences

Without that money spigot, David Ellison’s own ventures look much more perilous.

From Slate • Mar. 20, 2026

Now that money spigot is drying up, especially in smaller markets, as more consumers drop the cable bundles that long fueled the sports economy.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 3, 2026

For those that don’t, it’s time to turn off the spigot.

From MarketWatch • Jan. 7, 2026

“When does the spigot stop? When do we stop throwing away money?” asked Burgess, who wants to see subsidies shrink.

From Salon • Dec. 4, 2025

The PSF walked me to the door and pointed to the spigot just to the left of it.

From "The Darkest Minds" by Alexandra Bracken

Related Words

• nozzle
• valve