Toilet
/ˈtɔɪ.lət/
nounA1
Definition
A toilet is a special bowl you sit on or stand near to urinate (pee) or defecate (poop). It usually has water that helps clean the waste away when you flush it. Toilets are important for keeping places clean and healthy.
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See It in Action
The bathroom fixture for waste disposal
- •I need to use the toilet before we leave.
- •The public toilet is clean and has soap.
- •Please flush the toilet after use.
(Informal) A room or place with a toilet
- •The toilet is at the end of the hall.
- •She went to the toilet during the break.
Make It Stick
- ✓Think of "toilet" like "bathroom" (A1 word), but "toilet" means the specific object you use to go to the bathroom.
- ✓Picture a white bowl with a seat and a lid, often in a small room, sometimes with a sink nearby.
- ✓It's the feeling of relief and comfort when you find a toilet after you really need to go.
- ✓Sounds like "TOY-let" → imagine a toy shaped like a tiny bowl to remember the word.
- ✓Think of cartoons where characters rush to the toilet—they always look for this important object.
- ✓NOT like "sink" (used for washing hands), "toilet" is for waste.
- ✓NOT like "shower" (used for cleaning the body), "toilet" is for waste removal.
Try Other Words
- •Restroom: a polite word for a public toilet (Use in public places or formal situations)
- •Lavatory: a formal or old-fashioned word for toilet (Use in formal writing or on airplanes)
- •WC: abbreviation for "water closet," another word for toilet (Used on signs in some countries)
- •Bathroom: a room with a toilet and often a sink or shower (Use when talking about the whole room)
Unboxing
- •Word parts: "toilet" comes as a whole word, no clear prefix or suffix
- •Etymology: From French "toilette," originally meaning a cloth for washing or dressing, later meaning the act of washing, then the fixture for waste
- •Historical development: The word shifted from meaning personal grooming to the bathroom fixture in English by the 19th century
- •Modern usage: Common word worldwide for the bathroom fixture or the small room containing it; important in hygiene and sanitation
- •Interesting fact: In some countries, "toilet" can be a polite or impolite word depending on context; "restroom" or "bathroom" are often preferred in polite conversation
Reflect & Connect
•How does the availability of clean toilets affect people's health and daily life?
•Why do different English-speaking countries use different words like "toilet," "bathroom," or "restroom" for the same place?
Fill in the blanks
1.When you feel you need to go, you should find a clean toilet to ___ your waste.
2.After using the toilet, it is important to ___ it to keep the place clean.
3.The public toilet was closed, so we had to ___ to another building.
4.Unlike a shower or sink, the toilet is only used for ___.
5.In some places, people say "restroom" instead of toilet to sound more ___.
6.The toilet is usually found in a small ___ or room inside a house or building.
7.If the toilet is blocked, water will not ___ properly and cause a problem.