meaning of "run the tap"

English as a Second Language English Vocabulary, Grammar and Idioms
1

Hello,

I just encountered the following sentence:

He walked over to the sink, ran the tap and washed his hands

Does “run the tap” mean “turn on the faucet”?
If the former is true, is it a natural way to say “turn on the faucet”?

Thanks!

2

Yes a ‘tap’ is the most common term for ‘faucet’ (UK).

It should really be ‘ran the water’ (turned on the tap/faucet to let the water run), but ‘ran the tap’ is accepted usage.

3

Thank you, Bev!

I didn’t know about the distinction you drew between “tap” and “faucet”. Hehe.