Depending on the historical era or dialect, toilets have been referred to by many different names. The most common historic and formal alternatives include:
One of the cruder words on this list, the use of the word 'bog' to refer to the toilet dates back to 1789, when it took the form 'boghouse'. Boghouse comes from the British slang meaning to defecate, so when you go the bog, you really are being quite literal!
Because the toilet has evolved across centuries, it had different names depending on the era and design. The term "toilet" actually comes from the French word "toilette" (meaning a dressing room or grooming routine), which later evolved to describe the fixture.
Lavatory is an older word for toilet.
Looking for a fancier term? Here are the most polished ways to refer to a toilet, depending on the vibe you are going for:
In the American South, the most common specific word for a toilet is commode. While the term originally referred to a type of bedroom furniture used to house a chamber pot, it has evolved to become a standard, everyday term for the physical plumbing fixture.
WC stands for water closet. Toilet usually refers to the plumbing fixture itself. Both terms are widely used in plumbing and home design.
In the 17th and 18th century, sitting on a commode or close stool containing a pan under the seat was the common solution to the call of nature. The poor were lucky to have a chamber pot which they kept under the bed, hence the name 'goesunder'.
The most polite words for "toilet" vary by region and context. Common formal options include restroom (polite public term in the US), bathroom (casual US term), lavatory (highly formal), washroom (common in Canada), and loo (common in the UK).
The Romans had two main types of toilets: communal flush latrines, which were mainly found in military camps and urban centers, and simple pit latrines, which were similar to modern-day outhouses.
Many traditional Amish communities consider manufactured toilet paper an unnecessary luxury and use resource-saving alternatives instead. In outhouses, families often repurpose old newspapers, magazine pages, or catalogs (like the Sears and Roebuck catalog). To make the paper soft enough to use, they crumple it vigorously multiple times.
Evidently the word “water closet” was widely used when referencing the toilet.
The medieval toilet or latrine, then called a privy or garderobe, was a primitive affair, but in a castle, one might find a little more comfort and certainly a great deal more design effort than had been invested elsewhere.
Yes, an estimated 70% of the world does not use dry toilet paper to wipe. Instead, many cultures across Asia, the Middle East, Africa, and parts of Europe prioritize washing with water.
Cowboys and pioneers historically used the outhouse or privy. Because those structures were often built a short distance from the cabin or bunkhouse to keep odors away, they also humorously referred to the trip as going to "see a man about a horse".
Crapper
If you check this word in the dictionary, it says it is a "vulgar slang" for "toilet." Really, "crapper" comes from the unfortunate last name of Thomas Crapper, the gentleman responsible for developing the "ballcock," which is an improved tank-filling mechanism still used in toilets today.
latrine lavatory outhouse restroom. STRONG. W.C. can commode head john potty privy throne washroom.
To stop urine from splashing or dripping under the toilet seat, try these targeted, practical solutions:
In archeological sites off the old Silk Road in China, scientists discovered 2000-year-old Salaka, Cechou and Chugi. These are wooden – often bamboo – sticks vaguely shaped like a spatula. People would wrap a cloth around the end before they scraped/wiped.
Old-timey words for a toilet include privy, outhouse, water closet (WC), commode, and chamber pot. Other historic or regional terms include "jakes," "necessary house," "garderobe" (medieval), and "loo".
The most common and iconic Australian slang for a toilet is dunny. It generally refers to the toilet itself, particularly an older or outdoor outhouse, though it can be used colloquially for indoor toilets as well.
“Loo” is a British term that first appeared around the 1920s. Its origin is still debated — some say it came from the French “l'eau!” (shouted before emptying chamber pots out of windows), others believe it stemmed from “Room 100,” the old English designation for the toilet on floor plans.
In the 1800s, most people wiped using whatever free, accessible materials were closest at hand, which typically included dried corn cobs, old rags, leaves, and moss. As printed materials became widely available, pages from newspapers, magazines, and the Farmers' Almanac were commonly hung in outhouses for both reading and wiping.
Define toilet. If you're picturing porcelain plumbing or anything that flushes, then no—the Tudors didn't have toilets in the modern sense. They did have chamber pots, garderobes, and something called the close stool, which sounds dignified but was really just a fancy chair with a hole and a bucket.