Link Centre Dictionary

lavatory

la·va·tory

UK/ˈlæv.ə.tɹi/ US/ˈlæv.ə.təɹ.i/ uncommon archaic dated formal obsolete uk

noun

1.
2.

a bathroom or lavatory sink that is permanently installed and connected to a water supply and drainpipe; where you wash your hands and face

  • “he ran some water in the basin and splashed it on his face”
Synonyms
3.

a toilet that is cleaned of waste by the flow of water through it

Synonyms

Origin

From Middle English lavatorie, from Late Latin lavātōrium, from Latin lavāre (“to wash”) + -ium (forming places related to an activity). As a place to pan gold, via Spanish lavadero. Doublet of lavatorium and laver. See also lave.

Phrases

  • lavatory attendant
  • lavatory basin
  • lavatory bowl
  • lavatory brush
  • lavatory chain
  • lavatory cleanser
  • lavatory humor
  • lavatory joke

Related words

Broader terms

Narrower terms

Part of

WordNet 2.1 (Princeton University). Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). CMU Pronouncing Dictionary. WordNet 2.1 Copyright Princeton University. All rights reserved. Wiktionary content is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike Licence.