Toilet (room)
A compact private space for the plumbing end of things — and the name shifts depending on which side of the border you're on.
Last updated
Acabashi · CC BY-SA 4.0
A compact room providing private access to a toilet for bodily waste elimination is what a toilet room is.[1] For hygiene purposes, these spaces commonly contain a basin and soap for washing hands.[1] In private homes located in North America, such a space is commonly called a half-bathroom.[1]
Quick Facts
- Also known as
- half-bathroom
- water closet
- lavatory
- loo
- washroom
- comfort room
- Common features
- toilet
- sink
- mirror
- toilet paper or bidet
- plunger
- toilet brush
- Regional terms (north america)
- bathroom, half-bath, powder room
- Regional terms (uk/ireland)
- toilet, WC, lavatory, loo, cloakroom
- Regional terms (other)
- bog, dunny (Australia); comfort room/CR (Philippines)
- Jargon terms
- lavatory (airplanes)
- head (ships)
- latrine (military)
Facts from the source article.
Key facts and history
In 1904, Hermann Muthesius noted that a toilet was practically never found in an English bathroom.[2] Originally denoting personal care activities, the term "toilet" later, through metonymy, described rooms for bathing and dressing.[3] Private flush toilets were commonly used in the Indus Valley civilization, which possessed notably advanced sanitation.[4] Initially a privilege for the wealthy, indoor toilets only slowly became available to those of lower socioeconomic status.[5]
London's building codes as late as the 1890s did not mandate indoor toilets for working-class residences.[5] For hygiene and privacy considerations, separate toilet rooms are still standard practice in France, Japan, and several other nations.[6]
What the cited sources add
The HomeLight article by Zalvino explains that a half bath is a room with only two components, usually a toilet and a sink.[7] Zalvino notes that Americans have doubled the number of bathrooms per person over the past fifty years.[7] According to real estate agent Chris Walker, a full bathroom consists of one sink, one toilet, one shower, and a tub.[7] Zalvino states that building codes require at least 40 to 45 square feet to accommodate all the fixtures for a full bath.[7]
Zalvino mentions that a quarter bath is just a shower stall.[7] A three-quarter bath, as defined in the source, includes three out of four possible fixtures; in contemporary houses, this set is a toilet, sink, and shower.[7] The source points out that a pedestal sink, consisting of a bowl atop a slim base, is an option for compact bathrooms.[7]
References
- Wikipedia, "Toilet (room)" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Zalvino, "What is a Half Bath? The Mystery Behind Fractional Bathrooms, Solved", HomeLight, 12 March 2020 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Toilet (room)" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Jackson, "Semi-Detached London: Suburban Development, Life and Transport, 1900–39", Allen & Unwin, 1973, p. 145; Grant, "The Architects: Edward W Godwin", The Bedford Park Society (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Toilet (room)" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Oxford English Dictionary"; Campbell, "Historical Linguistics: An Introduction, 2nd ed.", MIT Press, 2006, p. 263; "Stack Exchange", 9 December 2010 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Toilet (room)" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Wright, "Discovering Abbeys and Priories", Shire, 2004, p. 27; Greene, "Medieval Monasteries", Leicester University Press, 1992; Chase, "Firearms: A Global History to 1700" (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Toilet (room)" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Muthesius, "The English Terraced House", Yale University Press, 1982, p. 60; As in plates 86 and 87 depicting homes in Leeds and Halifax, Muthesius, p. 121.; Jackson, "Semi-Detached London: Suburban Development, Life and Transport, 1900–39", Allen & Unwin, 1973, p. 145 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "Toilet (room)" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Léger, "Derniers Domiciles Connus: Enquête sur les Nouveaux Logements, 1970–1990", Créaphis, 1990, p. p. 129 }}. {{in lang; Harrison, "Houses: The Illustrated Guide to Construction, Design, and Systems, 3rd ed.", Real Estate Education Co., 1998, p. 64–65; Léger, "Derniers Domiciles Connus: Enquête sur les Nouveaux Logements, 1970–1990", Créaphis, 1990, p. p. 129 }}. {{in lang; Taylor, "Culture Shock!: France, 2nd ed.", Graphic Arts Center, 2003, p. 199; Goldman, "Doing Business With the Japanese: A Guide to Successful Co en.wikipedia.org
- Zalvino, "What is a Half Bath? The Mystery Behind Fractional Bathrooms, Solved", HomeLight, 12 March 2020. facts only, no text reused. homelight.com
Each numbered sentence above was checked against the source it cites before publication. Sentences citing Wikipedia adapt text from the English Wikipedia article Toilet (room) (contributors), used under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is available under the same licence. Other sources were used for facts only; no text or images are copied from them.
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Sources
Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.
- Wikipedia: Toilet (room) (CC BY-SA 4.0).
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