toilet and lavatory

Question

rest·room  (rstrm, -rm)n.A room equipped with toilets and lavatories for public use.What is the difference between toilet and lavatory? They appear to have different meaning in British and American English.I'm living in Australia.

Marius Hancu · Accepted Answer

lavatory is mainly for washing the face and hands
however, as you can see at 4, it is synonym with toilet in a secondary meaning

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lavatory

Etymology: Middle English lavatorie, from Medieval Latin lavatorium, from Latin lavatus (past participle of lavare to wash) + -orium

1 : a basin or other vessel for washing: as a : PISCINA b : a water basin in a sacristy
2 : a ritual washing of the hands by a celebrant of the Eucharist : LAVABO 1a
3 : a place for washing: as a : a room with conveniences for washing the hands and face and usually with one or more toilets b : a fixed bowl or basin with running water and drainpipe for washing the hands and face c : a place, trough, or tub in which bodies are washed before burial
4 : WATER CLOSET, TOILET

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Clive · Answer

Hi guys,

The word 'lavatory' is not commonly used in N. America.

When it is used, the meaning associated with bodily elimination and excretion is the primary one.

If you say to anyone in N. America that you are going to wash your hands and face in the lavatory, they will think you are nuts.

Best wishes, Clive

Nona the brit · Answer

They will think you are nuts in the UK too. It did begin with a meaning in that way and then became a handy euphemism for a room to go and do more than wash, but not anymore. The acceptable word for this room rapidly changes every decade or so and the euphemisms always have an earlier, more innocent meaning.

Lavatory is still used occassionally in the UK by older people. The most common word now is Toilet or if you are talking about public ones you usually just say 'the ladies' or 'the gents'. Some upper-class people consider toilet to be 'vulgar' as it comes from toilette (ladies dressing/personal care, but not washing or bodily elimination. See what I mean about euphemisms for this having an innocent source). Bathroom is starting to be used as well (copied from the Americans) but you would only use it about a room that does also contain a bath/shower, not just a room with a 'loo' in it. Loo is very common and not offensive to anyone. Restroom is not really used in the UK although we've seen enough American TV to know what it means.

The definition in your original post is quite odd. You are doubling up if you say both lavatories and toilets. Everyone considers that the lavatory is the toilet, not where you wash. It would be like saying 'toilet' to mean the dressing table where ladies can tidy up their make-up. I wouldn't consider lavatory as a synonym for sink or basin (the plumbed in bowl where you wash your hands after going to the toilet).

BarbaraPA · Answer

Clive, my brother lives in Toronto, and uses the euphamism "wash room" for "public toilet." Is that common?

I think "rest room" is the most common "polite" way to refer to this. "Loo" is popular among people I know, but I suspect it's regional.

Clive · Answer

Hi,

In a Canadian home, we speak of 'the bathroom' or, yes, 'the washroom'. These are the two main terms used for both public and private places.

As the original poster indicated, when 'restroom' is used, it suggests it's in a public place.

Best wishes, Clive

Marius Hancu · Answer

These guys are in the respective US industry. I guess they know what they are talking about when saying that this is a standard lavatory:

http://www.onyxtop.com/new/products2-15.html

which is one of the usages shown in my posting above of the M-W unabridged definition (a sink, bowl of basin for washing the face and the hands).

The original posting makes sense with this particular usage.

Also, check this reference by an Australian (the OP is located in Australia):
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lavatories: "We (Australians) talk about lavatories and toilets, you
(Americans) look for rooms with baths or places to rest."

http://tinyurl.com/z29vh
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However, of course, the other meanings/uses exist in various parts of the world, as per the M-W definition, and the Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary indicates that for them (thus, I would assume UK usage)
lavatory=toilet

Anonymous · Answer

In the design of plumbing systems, engineers in the USA refer to a certain type of sink as a 'lavy' and all toilets as a 'water closets.'  This is the nationally accepted standard for MEP design and I am an MEP engineer.  The actual room is called a 'men's/women's room' or simply 'restroom,' which is a nationally accepted standard for architects.  The general public, at least in the US, refers to these as 'sinks,' 'toilets,' and 'restrooms,' respectivley.  Like everything else in my country, even where to **** must be ambiguous.  I hope this clears up your questions.

Anonymous · Answer

The word toilet is actually a derivation from toilette which meant the refreshment, cleansing and dressing of the person. This included such activities as hair brushing and grooming, teeth brushing as well as application of make up, cleaning fingernails, etc., and generally attending to grooming of the person.

The lavatory is the recepticle in which a person passes water (urinates) or opens their bowels.

In England (as everywhere else) people have become lazy in their speech. One of the reasons why there is a degree of confusion is that many people used to ask to use a toilet, rather than a lavatory, as to ask to use a lavatory would be to acknowledge one needed to pass water of feaces which would have possibly caused embarrasment.

As lavatories were usually placed within, or close by, a toiletting area it was thought by many to avoid that embarrasment!

However in England we still call the soap we wash our hands, faces and bodies with, 'toilet soap'.

In well mannered and educated society these differences are still acknowledged and maintained.

The same applies to the difference between wash basins and sinks. A wash basin is only found in a toiletting area, for washing hands and face. A sink is only ever found in a kitchen or cooking area for the washing and rinsing of crockery, cutlery, food preparation or general domestic use.

Samantha

Clive · Answer

Hi,

In Canada, I usually don't hear 'lavatory' or 'toilet'.

Does that mean that mean that we Canadians are not "a well-mannered and educated society"?

Best wishes, Clive

Anonymous · Answer

I grew up in the state of Maryland in the United States. When I was in elementary school (K-6), some of the old women teachers insisted on the use of the term 'lavatory'. If you asked to go to the bathroom, they would snap at you, "What, are you intending to take a bath?!" Yet, after I got out of second grade, the preferred term became restroom, boys room or girls room. Perhaps lavatory was the preferred euphamism in some parts of the country then? This would have been the older generation in 1970-73.

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