Skip to main content
can

can

182 9.6
A casual word for a toilet
  • noun
  • /kæn/
  • Slang
translation icon : baño
  • I been in the can for two and a half years.

Examples

  • -Hey, is he still in the can?

  • I gotta go to the can.

  • Payphone's in back by the can.

  • So, you're saving the world in a garbage can?

  • Gibbons must be in the can, so check that first before getting alarmed.

    Fiction book (1991)
  • I can't believe how dirty the can is; it needs a thorough cleaning.

  • She always keeps a magazine in the can for some reading while she is in there.

  • After the party, everyone rushed to the can to freshen up.

Synonyms

bathroom
vscan
1.0

A room in a house with a toilet, sink, and a bath or shower

is slang and focuses on the toilet use rather than bathing facilities
toilet
vscan
  • UK
275 1.0

A small room with a bowl and sink where people go to pee or poo

is informal slang rather than the neutral, standard label for the room
potty
vscan
  • Baby Talk
85 1.1

A small toilet that young children use while learning

is slang for adult restroom usage rather than a child's training device
john
vscan
  • Slang
36 8.4

A room with a toilet that people use to go to the bathroom

is the same informal meaning expressed as a different slang word
throne
vscan
  • Slang
30 7.8

An informal joking word for a toilet

is plain slang rather than a joking or deliberately funny expression
crapper
vscan
  • NSFW
29 9.9

A toilet in informal speech

is the general slang alternative without technical or porcelain focus
lavatory
vscan
19 2.0

A room with a toilet and a sink for washing hands

is informal slang instead of the more technical or formal room name
privy
vscan
  • Archaic
12 9.9

A small outdoor toilet in a separate building

is slang for an indoor room rather than an external small latrine
commode
vscan
  • US
7 5.5

A portable toilet used at a bedside for people who cannot reach a bathroom

is the slang name for the room rather than the plumbing fixture itself
water closet
vscan
  • Archaic
3 6.1

A small room with a toilet for people to use

is modern slang rather than the older or regional term used historically
lav
vscan
  • UK
3 8.4

A room with a toilet and sink

is the slang term used in casual speech rather than a neutral label
dunny
vscan
  • Slang
1 9.9

An outdoor toilet often in a small building behind a house

is slang for any toilet or bathroom not limited to outdoor locations
biffy
vscan
  • Slang
1 9.9

A slang word for a simple outdoor toilet often found at campsites or gas stations

is the general slang term not tied to specific regions or outdoors
smallest room
vscan
  • Informal
7.3

A small private room for using the toilet

is more direct slang rather than a gentle or euphemistic expression
dunny can
vscan
  • Australian
9.9

A portable toilet with a removable waste container

is a general slang name for a room not specifically a portable facility

Idioms

in the can
  • Jargon
8 8.3

Finished and ready to be released, like a film

3 7.4

Create a difficult situation with many unexpected problems

1 8.9

Using whatever is available and acting without a plan

1 7.9

To accept blame or responsibility that others refuse

1 9.9

To attack or punish someone suddenly and violently, often for something they did

It happens very quickly

can a duck swim
  • Informal
9.5

A question people ask to show the answer is clearly yes

7.0

Challenge someone to try to reach or pass you

To do something as well as you can given the situation

To the same degree as anyone else

Try again to do something after failing

To not recognize someone at all because you have never met them

Start with basic skills before trying harder tasks

spam in a can
  • Informal
8.6

A thing that is cheap and has little value

9.9

Not able to deal with things because you feel overwhelmed or exhausted

Compounds

134 4.2

Being positive and willing to try difficult tasks

72 1.0

A container for holding rubbish until it is collected

60 1.0

A bin with a lid that holds household waste until someone takes it away

23 1.0

A small metal container you open to drink beer

18 1.0

A tool that opens metal cans by cutting the lid

can of worms
  • Informal
17 6.5

A situation that causes many new problems when you start it

9 1.0

A small metal container that holds one fizzy drink

7 1.0

A small metal container for keeping food or drink

6 1.0

A metal or plastic container used to store ground coffee

5 2.4

A small container that sprays liquid or gas when you press a button

A positive, confident way of dealing with tasks and problems

3 3.9

A small metal or plastic container that holds liquid under pressure and sprays a fine mist

3 1.0

A container with a handle and spout for pouring water on plants

can of corn
  • Archaic
1 9.0

An easy catch in baseball or a very simple task

can-kicking
  • Literature
1 9.5

Putting off dealing with a difficult issue instead of making a decision now

A 2002 American film by Steven Spielberg starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Tom Hanks

1 1.6

A large metal container with a lid used to store and carry milk

tin can
  • Jargon
1 8.4

A small fast warship with light armor used in battle

trash can
  • Specialized
1 2.9

A place on a computer where deleted files stay before they are removed for good

booze can
  • Informal
9.9

A can holding beer or another alcoholic drink

can buoy
  • Specialized
8.4

A floating marker like a metal drum that shows a channel edge or danger in the water

dunny can
  • Australian
9.9

A portable toilet with a removable waste container

Ash Can
  • Archaic
9.5

A style of early 1900s American painting showing real, often hard city life

A spray you use to clean your body when there is no water

How Formal

lavatory
1 2.3
restroom
  • US
133 1.0
toilet
  • UK
275 1.0
can
  • Slang
182 9.6
john
  • Slang
36 8.4

Surface Forms

can singular
cans plural

Etymology

One popular story says the slang can for a toilet comes from old metal or wooden boxes used as outdoor toilets, so people began using can as a short, casual word for the bathroom.