Washroom

Washroom

Noun · /ˈwɒʃruːm/ · a room containing a toilet and washing facilities; the North American polite term for a bathroom

Definition

A washroom is a room equipped for personal hygiene — typically containing a toilet, sink, and sometimes a shower or bath. The word is the preferred polite term in Canadian and American English when referring to a public or semi-public facility. In Britain the equivalent is "toilet", "loo", or "lavatory". In formal or hospitality contexts, "washroom" implies cleanliness and comfort above merely functional facilities.

Etymology

Washroom combines the Old English "wascan" (to wash) and "rum" (room, space). The compound appeared in print in the mid-nineteenth century, initially describing industrial washing rooms in factories and workshops. By the early twentieth century it had migrated into polite domestic and hotel vocabulary across North America, where asking for the washroom was considered more refined than asking for the toilet.