washroomn.
/ˈwɒʃruːm/, /ˈwɒʃrʊm/, U.S. /ˈwɔʃˌrum/, /ˈwɔʃˌrʊm/, /ˈwɑʃˌrum/, /ˈwɑʃˌrʊm/ 1. A room designed or equipped to be used for washing; esp. a laundry room.
ΚΠ
1768 E. Foster Ess. on Hospitals ii. iii. Explan. Plate I (list) The Ground Floor of an Hospital..with all necessary Conveniences in their proper Places... Cold Bath. Necessary House. Wash Room. Steward's Appartment and Office.
1838 Family Mag. 3 103/1 A rotary steam-engine pumps water, supplies steam to the kitchen, wash-room, &c.
1878 R. T. Cooke Happy Dodd 293 He..fairly went down on his knees to her in the wash-room.
1915 Times 5 May 9/5 A hundred Frenchwomen, churning away with washing machines of every description.., were happily chanting a French song when we went through the wash-room.
1980 Lethbridge (Alberta) Herald 12 Jan. 33/3 This exceptionally large kitchen has..a washroom adjacent to it with plenty of cupboards.
2006 J. Treglown in Granta Summer 82 He led me into his house, up the stairs and out through the attic to a tiled rooftop washroom, where he pummelled away in a shallow tub with a built-in scrubbing board of cut stone.
2. Originally and chiefly North American (now esp. Canadian). A room for washing oneself; esp. a room with facilities for washing the face and hands, and usually also with toilet facilities.Frequently euphemistic with reference to a toilet (toilet n. 9a), esp. one for shared or public use; cf. bathroom n. 2, restroom n.
ΘΚΠ
the world > physical sensation > cleanness and dirtiness > cleaning > washing > washing oneself or body > [noun] > place for washing > room for washing in
lavatory1594
washing-room1838
washroom1854
Moab1865
salle d'eau?1957
the world > physical sensation > cleanness and dirtiness > sanitation > privy or latrine > [noun] > water-closet or lavatory
closet1496
water closet1736
water closet1747
throne room1787
W.C.1815
netty1825
convenience1841
Johnny1847
lavabo1852
restrooma1856
small room1858
cloakroom1865
lavatory1874
bathroom1883
toilet1886
can1900
place1902
lav1913
washroom1919
head1920
lavvy1922
dike1923
smallest room1930
John1931
khazi1932
loo1940
biffy1942
Wa1953
shitcan1954
commode1958
cludgie1961
1854 Harper's Mag. Nov. 851/1 A gentleman in the wash-room said to the Captain of the boat, ‘Can't you give me a clean towel, Captain?’
1892 A. C. Gunter Miss Dividends v He ejaculates nervously: ‘I'll just wash my hands, and be with you in a moment,’ and moves hurriedly back to the gentlemen's wash-room at the rear of the car.
1908 S. E. White Riverman xi That evening..Orde returned to the hotel. After freshening up in the marbled and boarded wash-room, he hunted up Newmark.
1919 Southeastern Reporter 97 769/2 On each floor of said building was a lavatory or washroom for the use of the tenants in said building.
1952 S. Spender Learning Laughter 140 The indoor separate lavatory and washroom with shower.
1978 Detroit Free Press 5 Mar. (Parade Suppl.) 12/3 A queasy stomach sends him dashing for the washroom on bumpy plane flights.
2008 Toronto Star (Nexis) 16 Oct. a3 Every store in Toronto with a floor area of 3,230 square feet or more should have to provide washrooms for their customers.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, September 2016; most recently modified version published online December 2021).
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n.1768