stopple
/'stɔpl/
Definition
Noun:
- A plug or bung: A "stopple" is an object, typically made of cork, rubber, or wood, designed to close the opening of a container, such as a bottle or a barrel, by fitting tightly into it.
Verb:
- To close with a stopple: To seal or secure an opening by inserting or fitting a stopple into it.
Usage Examples
Noun:
- He removed the glass stopple from the decanter to pour the brandy.
- The chemist used a rubber stopple to seal the test tube.
Verb:
- Please stopple the jug to keep the juice fresh.
- They carefully stoppled the wine bottles after the tasting.
Advanced Usage
- "To put a stopple in": To silence or stop something.
- The new evidence put a stopple in the rumors.
- Used in technical or historical contexts, such as in chemistry or winemaking, to refer to a specific type of closure.
Variants and Related Words
- Stopper (noun/verb): A very common synonym for "stopple," often used interchangeably. A stopper can also refer to something that brings an activity to an end.
- She used a cork stopper for the bottle.
- Plug (noun/verb): A more general term for an object that fills a hole.
- Bung (noun/verb): Specifically a stopper for a hole in a cask or barrel.
- He hammered the bung into the barrel.
Synonyms
- Noun: Plug, bung, cork, seal, closure.
- Verb: Plug, cork, seal, stop up, bung.
Related Phrasal Verbs
(Note: "Stopple" itself is not commonly used to form phrasal verbs. The related word "stop" is used instead.) - Stop up: To block or seal an opening. - We need to stop up that hole to prevent drafts.
Related Idioms
(Note: There are no common idioms using the exact word "stopple." Idioms typically use the more common synonym "stopper.") - Put a stopper on something: To stop or bring something to an end. - The manager put a stopper on all overtime work.
Noun
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blockage consisting of an object designed to fill a hole tightly
Verb
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close or secure with or as if with a stopper
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She stoppered the wine bottle
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The mothers stoppered their babies' mouths with pacifiers
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