lavatory
noun
lav·a·to·ry
?la-və-ˌtȯr-ē 
British -və-t(ə-)rē
plural lavatories
1
: a vessel (such as a basin) for washing
especially
: a fixed bowl or basin with running water and drainpipe for washing
2
: a room with conveniences for washing and usually with one or more toilets
the airplane's lavatory
3
lavatory
adjective
Synonyms
Examples of lavatory in a Sentence
a wide choice of lavatories on sale at plumbing supply stores
the school's filthy, broken-down lavatories were a disgrace
Recent Examples on the Web
The issue of crying babies on planes is a frequent source of conflict, with some passengers glaring, yelling or more recently, locking the offending child in the lavatory to admonish them.
—
Harmeet Kaur, CNN, 19 Sep. 2024
But the downside to window seats is, of course, being able to get up to use the lavatory with ease.
—Stefanie Waldek, Travel + Leisure, 9 Aug. 2024
Witnesses and law enforcement sources told WLS that a passenger scuffled with crewmembers mid-air, and a bomb threat was found written on a note in a lavatory a short time later.
—Jessica Schladebeck, New York Daily News, 21 Feb. 2024
Nearby, makeshift pits shielded by burlap serve as lavatories.
—Ghada Abdulfattah, The Christian Science Monitor, 16 Aug. 2024
See all Example Sentences for lavatory 
Harmeet Kaur, CNN, 19 Sep. 2024
But the downside to window seats is, of course, being able to get up to use the lavatory with ease.
—Stefanie Waldek, Travel + Leisure, 9 Aug. 2024
Witnesses and law enforcement sources told WLS that a passenger scuffled with crewmembers mid-air, and a bomb threat was found written on a note in a lavatory a short time later.
—Jessica Schladebeck, New York Daily News, 21 Feb. 2024
Nearby, makeshift pits shielded by burlap serve as lavatories.
—Ghada Abdulfattah, The Christian Science Monitor, 16 Aug. 2024
See all Example Sentences for lavatory
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'lavatory.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Lavatory.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lavatory. Accessed 8 Oct. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
lavatory
noun
lav·a·to·ry
?lav-ə-ˌtōr-ē
-ˌtȯr-
plural lavatories
1
: a basin for washing
especially
: a small sink with running water and drainpipe
2
: a room with lavatories and usually with toilets
3
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