washroom

20 1.0

A room with toilets and sinks, often in a public building

noun
/ˈwɔːʃruːm/

Canadian

: baño

So do you share a shower and a washroom with all the people on this floor?
go to the washroom
washroom door
private washroom

Like I cannot stand when people do this is when people take the accessible stall in the washroom who don't need it.

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Examples

Why do women keep going to washroom in groups?
Tina went to the washroom, and Paolo carried their things out to bring them to the car.

Fiction book (2000)
Could you tell me where the washroom is, please? - It's around the corner.

Crying Freeman (1995)
- I just have to go to the washroom.

Goon (2012)
Do you have a washroom?

Tapeworm (2019)
So my only option when I walk into a public washroom is to use the accessible stall.
An attendant was looking after the ladies' washroom at one of the places we stopped for lunch.

Academic text (2009)
I ran madly to the washroom and put my head under the water.

Fiction book (1991)
Laura darts ahead of him into the washroom and turns the water on.

Fiction book (1993)
Could you tell me where the washroom is, please? - It's around the corner.

Synonyms

bathroom

vswashroom

∞ 1.0

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

is mainly used for personal hygiene in homes, not public facilities

toilet

vswashroom

275 1.0

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

focuses on public building locations and general washing facilities

restroom

vswashroom

133 1.0

A public room with toilets and sinks for people to use

often applies particularly to facilities within public buildings

closet

vswashroom

Archaic

30 8.0

A small room with a toilet in older British houses

now refers generally to public rooms fitted with toilets and sinks

lavatory

vswashroom

19 2.0

A room with a toilet and a sink for washing hands

is used especially for public rooms with designed washing facilities

public restroom

vswashroom

9 1.0

A toilet people can use in public places like parks or stations

is the same idea but emphasizes being in public buildings

public toilet

vswashroom

7 1.0

A room with toilets and sinks that anyone can use in public places

is the neutral term often used for such public rooms

water closet

vswashroom

Archaic

3 6.1

A small room with a toilet for people to use

refers to the public room version that stresses washing fixtures

lav

vswashroom

3 8.4

A room with a toilet and sink

is the more neutral term used in public buildings and signs

toilet facility

vswashroom

2 1.2

A room or building with toilets for public use

includes the same idea but stresses hand washing fixtures too

toilet room

vswashroom

1 1.0

A small room with a toilet for people to use

is the general term for rooms in public buildings with washing facilities

wash room

vswashroom

Canadian

1.0

A public room with toilets and sinks for cleaning hands

is the single word form often used in buildings

public lavatory

vswashroom

2.0

A toilet in a public place that anyone can use

uses a more neutral, widely used term for such facilities

W.C.

vswashroom

4.5

A small room with a toilet in public places

is the wider term for facilities including washing sinks

smallest room

vswashroom

Informal

7.3

A small private room for using the toilet

is a neutral descriptive term for a public room with toilets and sinks

Surface Forms

washroom singular

washrooms plural

Morphology

washroom = wash + room (transparent) = wash + room

The meaning is directly derived from 'wash' + 'room' as a room for washing or washing facilities; dialectal extension to toilets is predictable from the components.

Etymology

Washroom is a simple combination of wash ('to clean') and room ('a space in a building'), so you can imagine it as the place to 'wash' yourself. So, washroom means a room with washing facilities and toilets, especially in public places.