water closet

noun

plural water closets

1

: a compartment or room with a toilet

Confronted with the cramped confines of a bathroom in a typical starter home—one of those spaces aptly described by the term water closet—homeowners may well entertain grand plans for expansion.

—Peter O. Whiteley

A private water closet opened off the sleeping area.

—Shirley Slater

—abbreviation WC

2

: a toilet bowl and its accessories

I could see part of the tub and part of the water closet in the bathroom. The tub had claw and ball feet, and the water closet had a pull chain from the storage tank mounted up by the ceiling.

—Robert B. Parker

—abbreviation WC

Synonyms

• bath
• bathroom
• bog [British]
• can
• cloakroom [British]
• comfort station
• convenience [chiefly British]
• head
• john
• latrine
• lavatory
• loo [chiefly British]
• potty
• restroom
• toilet
• washroom

Examples of water closet in a Sentence

the first house in town to have an indoor water closet

Recent Examples on the Web

Well, for the most luxurious (and separate) space of all, consider dual toilets—not toilets in the same space but separate water closets where each person has complete and total privacy. —Sharon Greenthal, Better Homes & Gardens, 23 Sep. 2024

Primary bathrooms include twin vanities as well as dual water closets, underfloor heating and a striking hand-finished cast iron soaking tub. —Roger Sands, Forbes, 10 Sep. 2024

From next-level water closets to the re-emergence of uber-chic conservatory showers and standalone tubs, there’s no bathroom design feature off limits in AD PRO’s Luxury Bath Report. —Architectural Digest, 6 Aug. 2024

Its en suite has a separate water closet, a jetted tub, convenient double vanities and a seamless shower. —Karen A. Avitabile, Hartford Courant, 28 July 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1736, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

water closet

noun

1

: a compartment or room with a toilet bowl

2

: a toilet bowl with its fixtures