The Chinese word 水龙头 (shuǐlóngtóu), meaning "water tap" or "faucet", is formed by combining three characters: 水 (shuǐ) meaning "water", 龙 (lóng) meaning "dragon", and 头 (tóu) meaning "head". Literally translating to "water dragon head", it originates from traditional taps designed with dragon-shaped spouts, where the dragon's head was a common decorative element for water outlets, thus the term metaphorically refers to the device that controls water flow.