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can

can

11 9.6
A casual word for a toilet
  • noun
  • /kæn/
  • Slang
: 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
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∞ 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
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  • UK
112 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
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  • Baby Talk
72 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
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  • Slang
37 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
lavatory
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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
crapper
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  • NSFW
19 9.9

A toilet in informal speech

is the general slang alternative without technical or porcelain focus
commode
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  • US
13 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
throne
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  • Slang
6 7.8

An informal joking word for a toilet

is plain slang rather than a joking or deliberately funny expression
privy
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  • Archaic
4 9.9

A small outdoor toilet in a separate building

is slang for an indoor room rather than an external small latrine
water closet
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  • Archaic
4 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
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  • UK
2 8.4

A room with a toilet and sink

is the slang term used in casual speech rather than a neutral label
dunny
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  • 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
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  • 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
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  • Informal
7.3

A small private room for using the toilet

is more direct slang rather than a gentle or euphemistic expression
dunny can
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  • 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
10 8.3

Finished and ready to be released, like a film

7 7.4

Create a difficult situation with many unexpected problems

4 9.9

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

3 8.9

Using whatever is available and acting without a plan

2 9.9

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

spam in a can
  • Informal
1 8.6

A thing that is cheap and has little value

To do something as well as you can given the situation

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

can a duck swim
  • Informal
1 9.5

A question people ask to show the answer is clearly yes

1 7.0

Challenge someone to try to reach or pass you

Try again to do something after failing

1 7.9

To accept blame or responsibility that others refuse

To the same degree as anyone else

It happens very quickly

Start with basic skills before trying harder tasks

Compounds

90 1.0

A container for holding rubbish until it is collected

71 1.0

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

26 1.0

A small metal container you open to drink beer

24 1.0

A small metal container for keeping food or drink

22 1.0

A tool that opens metal cans by cutting the lid

can of worms
  • Informal
19 6.5

A situation that causes many new problems when you start it

16 4.2

Being positive and willing to try difficult tasks

12 1.0

A small metal container that holds one fizzy drink

10 1.0

A metal or plastic container used to store ground coffee

8 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

4 1.0

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

4 3.9

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

1 1.6

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

can-kicking
  • Literature
1 9.5

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

can buoy
  • Specialized
1 8.4

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

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

can of corn
  • Archaic
1 9.0

An easy catch in baseball or a very simple task

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

Ash Can
  • Archaic
1 9.5

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

booze can
  • Informal
9.9

A can holding beer or another alcoholic drink

dunny can
  • Australian
9.9

A portable toilet with a removable waste container

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

How Formal

lavatory
1 2.3
restroom
  • US
128 1.0
toilet
  • UK
112 1.0
can
  • Slang
11 9.6
john
  • Slang
37 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.