蛇口（じゃぐち、jaguchi）
- faucet

The Japanese word 蛇口 (*jaguchi*) refers to a faucet or tap. It is the device that controls the flow of water (or sometimes other liquids) from a pipe. It typically has a handle or lever to open and close the water supply, and a spout from which the water flows. The word encompasses both the mechanism and the outlet itself.

⚫︎ 蛇口をひねって水を出す。 Translation: Turn the faucet to let the water out. ⚫︎ 蛇口から水が漏れている。 Translation: Water is leaking from the faucet. ⚫︎ 洗面所の蛇口が古くなったので交換することにした。 Translation: I decided to replace the old faucet in the bathroom.

You use 蛇口 when you are talking about the faucet itself, or when you are describing an action related to it such as turning it on or off, or when describing the water flowing from it. It's a common and everyday word.

蛇口 is typically written with the kanji 蛇 (ja - snake), 口 (guchi - mouth). The reading is じゃぐち in hiragana. There is only one standard way to write this word.

There are no direct synonyms for 蛇口 that specify the faucet itself. However, you can use general terms for water outlets, depending on the context.

There are no direct antonyms for 蛇口.

お風呂の《蛇口からお湯が出ません。》 ・Translation: Hot water is not coming out of the bathroom faucet. ・Explanation: This sentence describes the problem of not having hot water from the bathroom 蛇口.

The etymology of 蛇口 is interesting. The first character, 蛇 (*ja*), means "snake" and the second character, 口 (*guchi*) means "mouth". The reason for this combination is not explicitly clear. One theory proposes that the spout of a faucet may have resembled a snake's mouth, or perhaps the imagery evokes the way water flows out in a gushing stream, like a snake's fangs. It's more likely, however, a very early reference of the pipe outlet resembling a snake's opening, with the water gushing forth.