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Glite Dictionary
toilet water

toilet water

1 4.6
A light scented liquid people put on their skin to smell nice
  • noun
  • /ˈtɔɪlɪt ˈwɔːtər/
  • Archaic
translation icon : agua de colonia
  • The air was a combination of heater, cigarettes, and toilet water, battling to a tie score.

Examples

  • She rubbed toilet water on her throat and temples.

    Fiction book (1991)

  • And the man behind p123 him, the rank stench of the animal broke through the delicate scent of the lavender toilet water.

    Fiction book (1992)

  • - Is this toilet water, Dad?

    Shadow Force (2025)

  • I personally prefer toilet water.

    Air Buddies (2006)

  • I took odds and ends of soap and mixed them with the last of my toilet water.

    The Diary of Anne Frank (1959)

  • - That's toilet water.

    How High (2001)

  • She applied the sweet-smelling toilet water before heading out for the evening.

  • After the bath, he splashed on some toilet water to smell fresh throughout the day.

  • The store offers a variety of toilet water fragrances, perfect for everyday use.

Synonyms

perfume
vstoilet water
124 1.0

A liquid with a pleasant smell used to make a person smell nice

is lighter and less concentrated than that generally scented liquid
fragrance
vstoilet water
83 2.6

A pleasant sweet smell from flowers or perfume

is a specific light liquid meant to be applied to the skin
cologne
vstoilet water
46 3.7

A light-smelling liquid you put on your skin

is lighter in scent and concentration than that common body liquid
eau de toilette
vstoilet water
1 7.2

A light perfume with a milder scent than regular perfume

is an even lighter scented liquid used on skin than that form
parfum
vstoilet water
1 4.8

A pleasant smell often from flowers or scented liquids you wear

is a specific light liquid form of that general scented idea
cologne water
vstoilet water
4.8

A light scented liquid people put on their skin to smell nice

is lighter in concentration and feel than that water based form

How Strong

perfume
124 1.0
aftershave
22 2.8
toilet water
  • Archaic
1 4.6

Surface Forms

toilet water singular
toilet waters plural

Morphology

toilet + water

Combining 'toilet' (act of washing/dressing) with 'water' yields a plausible compositional meaning — a liquid used in the toilette — so a learner who knows the archaic grooming sense can infer it denotes a cosmetic/fragrance. However, the grooming sense of 'toilet' is dated and many learners know 'toilet' primarily as 'restroom', and the precise contrast with cologne/perfume (lighter scent) requires cultural/lexical knowledge (e.g. 'eau de toilette'), so the relation is only partly predictable.

Etymology

The name toilet water comes from the French phrase eau de toilette, which meant 'grooming water' used when people washed and dressed. Because it was a light scented water used while getting ready, toilet water came to mean a light perfume worn on the skin.