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lavatory

Pronunciation: /ˈlæv.ə.tɹi/

The English word “lavatory” has 18 meanings listed here.

noun

  1. A vessel or fixture for washing, particularly
  2. A laver: a washbasin.
  3. A bathtub.
  4. A piscina: the basin used for washing communion vessels.
  5. A lavabo: the basin used for washing one's hands before handling the Eucharist.
  6. A baptismal font: the basin used for baptism, used figuratively for the washing away of sins.
  7. A plumbing fixture used for washing: a sink.
  8. Handwashing as an act, particularly
  9. The lavabo: the ritual washing of hands before handling the eucharist.
  10. The ritual washing of hands after using the piscina to clean the communion vessels.
  11. A liquid used in washing; a lotion; a wash; a rinse.
  12. A washroom: a room used for washing the face and hands.
  13. A room containing a toilet: a bathroom (US) or WC (UK).
  14. A plumbing fixture for urination and defecation: a toilet.
  15. A place to wash clothes: a laundry.
  16. A place where gold is panned.
  17. A paved room in a mortuary where corpses are kept under a shower of disinfecting fluid.

adjective

  1. Washing, or cleansing by washing.

Etymology

From Middle English lavatorie, from Late Latin lavātōrium, from Latin lavāre (“to wash”) + -ium (forming places related to an activity). As a place to pan gold, via Spanish lavadero. Doublet of lavatorium and laver. See also lave.

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Definitions are from Wiktionary, extracted by Kaikki.org, and are available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.