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

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 See all Example Sentences for water closet 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'water closet.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1736, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of water closet was in 1736

Dictionary Entries Near water closet

Cite this Entry

“Water closet.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/water%20closet. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

water closet

noun
1
: a compartment or room with a toilet bowl
2
: a toilet bowl with its fixtures

More from Merriam-Webster on water closet

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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