Toilet ( room ) - wikipedia Toilet ( room ) This article is about rooms in private residences. For facilities outside the home, see Public toilet. A small room with a flush toilet. A toilet brush ( hidden in a decorative holder ) and a toilet roll holder for toilet paper can be seen to the right of the flush toilet. A toilet, in this sense, is a small room used for privately accessing the sanitation fixture ( toilet ) for urination and defecation. Toilet rooms usually include a sink ( basin ) with soap for handwashing, as this is important for personal hygiene. This room is commonly known as a `` bathroom '' in American English, a `` loo '' in British English, a `` washroom '' in Canadian English, and by many other names across the English - speaking world. Contents 1 Names 2 Other items in the room 3 History 4 Society and culture 5 Gallery 6 See also 7 Notes 8 References Names See also : Toilet § Names `` Toilet '' originally referred to personal grooming and came by metonymy to be used for the personal rooms used for bathing, dressing, and so on. It was then euphemistically used for the similarly private rooms used for urination and defecation. By metonymy, it then came to refer directly to the fixtures in such rooms. At present, the word refers primarily to such fixtures and using `` toilet '' to refer to the room or activity ( `` use the toilet '' ) is somewhat blunt and may be considered indiscreet. It is, however, a useful term since it is quickly understood by English - speakers across the world, whereas more polite terms vary by region. `` Lavatory '' ( from the Latin lavatorium, `` wash basin '' or `` washroom '' ) was common in the 19th century and is still broadly understood, although it is taken as quite formal in American English, and more often refers to public toilets in Britain. The contraction `` lav '' is commonly used in British English. In American English, the most common term for a private toilet is `` bathroom '', regardless of whether a bathtub or shower is present. In British English, `` bathroom '' is a common term but is typically reserved for private rooms primarily used for bathing ; a room without a bathtub or shower is more often known as a `` WC '', an abbreviation for water closet, or `` loo ''. Other terms are also used, some as part of a regional dialect. Some forms of jargon have their own terms for toilets, including `` '' lavatory '' on commercial airplanes, `` head '' on ships, and `` latrine '' in military contexts. Larger houses often have a secondary room with a toilet and sink for use by guests. These are typically known as `` powder rooms '' or `` half baths '' in North America, and `` cloakrooms '' in Britain. Other items in the room The main item in the room is the sanitation fixture itself, the toilet. This may be the flushing sort, which is plumbed into a cistern ( tank ) operated by a ballcock ( float valve ). Or it may be a dry model, which does not need water. The toilet room may also include a plunger, a rubber or plastic tool mounted on a handle, which is used to remove blockages from the toilet drain. Toilets often have a wall mirror above the sink for grooming, checking one 's appearance and / or makeup. Some toilets have a cupboard where cleaning supplies and personal hygiene products may be kept. If it is a flush toilet, then the room usually also includes a toilet brush for cleaning the bowl. Methods of anal cleansing vary between cultures. If the norm is to use paper, then typically the room will have a toilet roll holder, with the toilet paper hanging either next to or away from the wall. If instead, people are used to cleaning themselves with water, then the room may include a bidet shower ( health faucet ) or a bidet. Toilets such as the Washlet, popular in Japan, provide an automatic washing function. A sink ( hand basin ), with soap, is usually present in the room or immediately outside it, to ensure easy handwashing. Above the sink there may be a mirror, either mounted on the wall, or on a medicine cabinet. This cabinet ( which is more typically located in the household 's main bathroom ). typically contains prescription and over the counter drugs, first aid supplies, and grooming equipment for shaving or makeup. History Main articles : History of water supply and sanitation and Toilet § History Into the modern era, humans typically practiced open defecation or employed latrines or outhouses over a pit toilet in rural areas and used chamber pots emptied into streets or drains in urban ones. The Indus Valley Civilization had particularly advanced sanitation, which included common use of private flush toilets. The ancient Greeks and Romans had public toilets and, in some cases, indoor plumbing connected to rudimentary sewer systems. The latrines of medieval monasteries were known as reredorters ; in some cases, these were connected to sophisticated water systems that swept its effluent away without affecting the community 's drinking, cooking, or washing water. In the early modern period, `` night soil '' from municipal outhouses became an important source of nitrates for creating gunpowder. 19th century refinements of the outhouse included the privy midden and the pail closet. Indoor toilets were at first a luxury of the rich and only gradually spread to the lower classes. As late as the 1890s, building regulations in London did not require working - class housing to have indoor toilets ; into the early 20th century, some English homes were built with an upstairs toilet for use by the owners and an outhouse for use by the servants. In some cases, there was a transitional stage where toilets were built into the house but accessible only from the outside. After World War I, all new housing in London and its suburbs had indoor toilets. Bathrooms became standard later than toilets, but entered working - class houses at around the same time. For plumbing reasons, flush toilets have usually been located in or near residences ' bathrooms. ( Both were initially located above the kitchen and scullery on the same account. ) In upper - class homes, the first modern lavatories were washrooms with sinks located near the bedrooms ; in lower - class homes, there was often only a collapsible tub for bathing. In Britain, there was long a prejudice against having the toilet located in the bathroom proper : in 1904, Hermann Muthesius noted that `` a lavatory ( i.e., toilet ) is practically never found in an English bathroom ; indeed it is considered downright inadmissible to have one there ''. When toilets were placed within bathrooms, the original reason was cost savings. In 1876 Edward William Godwin, a progressive architect - designer, drew up affordable housing with the toilet in the bathroom, and faced criticism for it. America and most European countries now combine their toilets and bathrooms. Separate toilets remain common in British homes and remain a builder 's option even in places where the norm is for the toilet to be in the bathroom. In France, Japan, and some other countries, separate toilets remain the norm for reasons of hygiene and privacy. In modern homes outside of France, such separate toilets typically contain a sink. In Japan, the toilet sometimes has a built - in sink ( whose waste water is used for the next flush ) to allow users to clean themselves immediately. Japanese toilets also often provide special slippers -- apart from those worn in the rest of the house -- for use within the toilet. Society and Culture In English, all terms for toilets were originally euphemisms. It is generally considered coarse or even offensive to use such direct terms as `` shitter '', although they are used in some areas. Formerly, broadcast censorship even banned mentions of the euphemisms : Jack Paar temporarily quit the Tonight Show in February 1960 when NBC broadcast news footage in place of a joke he had taped involving the term `` WC ''. Gallery An Australian `` dunny '', a form of outhouse with a pit toilet A toilet room with an older style flush toilet. The chain ( on the upper right ) is pulled to empty the elevated cistern ( tank ). A Delftware - style toilet A Japanese temple hotel, with squat toilet and toilet slippers See also Bathroom ( for personal hygiene, with or without a toilet inside ) Sanitation Notes Jump up ^ In British contexts, it is considered non-U, with the upper class generally preferring `` loo '', `` lavatory '', and `` bog ''. Jump up ^ For other synonyms for toilet, see `` bathroom '' at Wikisaurus. References Jump up ^ `` toilet, n. '', Oxford English Dictionary. ^ Jump up to : Campbell, Lyle ( 2006 ), Historical Linguistics : An Introduction, 2nd ed., Cambridge : MIT Press, p. 263, ISBN 978 - 0 - 262 - 53267 - 9. Jump up ^ `` What Are the Important Differences between Canadian and American ( USA ) English ? '', Stack Exchange, 9 December 2010. Jump up ^ `` lavatory, n. '', Oxford English Dictionary. Jump up ^ `` lav., n. '', Oxford English Dictionary. Jump up ^ `` lav '', Collins English Dictionary Jump up ^ `` bathroom, n. '', Oxford English Dictionary. Jump up ^ Kovecses, Zoltan ( 2000 ), American English : An Introduction, Petersborough : Broadview, p. 253, ISBN 978 - 1 - 55111 - 229 - 9. Jump up ^ `` W, n. '' & `` water closet, n. '', Oxford English Dictionary. Jump up ^ `` loo, n. 4 '', Oxford English Dictionary. Jump up ^ `` head, n. 1 '', Oxford English Dictionary. Jump up ^ `` latrine, n. '', Oxford English Dictionary. ^ Jump up to : Thompson, John ; et al. ( 2009 ), An Uncommon History of Common Things, Washington : National Geographic Society, p. 140, ISBN 978 - 1 - 4262 - 0420 - 3. Jump up ^ `` half -, comb. form '', Oxford English Dictionary. Jump up ^ `` ' cloak - room, n. '', Oxford English Dictionary. Jump up ^ Wright, Geoffrey N. ( 2004 ), Discovering Abbeys and Priories ( 4th ed. ), Princes Risborough : Shire, p. 27, ISBN 978 - 0 - 7478 - 0589 - 2. Jump up ^ Greene, J. Patrick ( 1992 ), Medieval Monasteries, Archaeology of Medieval Britain, Leicester : Leicester University Press, ISBN 978 - 0 - 7185 - 1296 - 5. Jump up ^ Chase, Kenneth, Firearms : A Global History to 1700. Jump up ^ Muthesius, Stefan ( 1982 ), The English Terraced House, New Haven : Yale University Press, p. 60, ISBN 978 - 0 - 300 - 02871 - 3. Jump up ^ As in plates 86 and 87 depicting homes in Leeds and Halifax, Muthesius, p. 121. ^ Jump up to : Jackson, Alan A. ( 1973 ), Semi-Detached London : Suburban Development, Life and Transport, 1900 -- 39, London : Allen & Unwin, p. 145, ISBN 978 - 0 - 04 - 902003 - 0. Jump up ^ Muthesius, pp. 61 -- 62, 100, 137. ^ Jump up to : Schmidt, William E. ( 3 January 1992 ), `` English Bathrooms : Out of the Closet '', The New York Times. Jump up ^ Muthesius, Hermann ( 1904 ), Das englische Haus : Entwicklung, Bedingungen, Anlage, Aufbau, Einrichtung und Innenraum, Vol. II, Berlin : Wasmuth, OCLC 3437464. ( in German ) Jump up ^ Seligman, Janet, The English House, London : Granada, p. 236, ISBN 978 - 0 - 258 - 97101 - 7. Jump up ^ Long, Helen C. ( 1993 ), The Edwardian House : The Middle - Class Home in Britain, 1880 - 1914, Studies in Design and Material Culture, Manchester : Manchester University Press, p. 193, ISBN 978 - 0 - 7190 - 3728 - 3. Jump up ^ Muthesius, quoted in translation by Seligman in Long. Jump up ^ Grant, Sandra. `` The Architects : Edward W Godwin ''. The Bedford Park Society. Retrieved 2 November 2016. ^ Jump up to : Léger, Jean - Michel ( 1990 ), Derniers Domiciles Connus : Enquête sur les Nouveaux Logements, 1970 -- 1990, Paris : Créaphis, p. p. 129, ISBN 978 - 2 - 907150 - 18 - 7. ( in French ) Jump up ^ Harrison, Henry ( 1998 ), Houses : The Illustrated Guide to Construction, Design, and Systems, 3rd ed., Chicago : Real Estate Education Co., pp. 64 -- 65, ISBN 978 - 0 - 7931 - 2967 - 6. Jump up ^ Taylor, Sally Adamson ( 2003 ), Culture Shock ! : France, 2nd ed., Portland : Graphic Arts Center, p. 199, OCLC 30753428. Jump up ^ Goldman, Alan ( 1994 ), Doing Business With the Japanese : A Guide to Successful Communication, Management and Diplomacy, SUNY Series in Speech Communication, Albany : State University of New York Press, p. 73, ISBN 978 - 0 - 7914 - 1946 - 5. ^ Jump up to : `` Toilets '', Encyclopedia of Contemporary Japanese Culture, London : Routledge, 2002, pp. 527 f., ISBN 978 - 0 - 415 - 14344 - 8. Jump up ^ Molotch, Harvey Luskin ( 2003 ), Where Stuff Comes From : How Toasters, Toilets, Cars, Computers, and Many Other Things Come to Be As They Are, London : Routledge, p. pp. 101 -- 02, ISBN 978 - 0 - 415 - 94400 - 7. Jump up ^ Phillips, Jennifer ( 2003 ), `` Personal Hygiene '', In the Know in Japan : The Indispensable Cross-cultural Guide to Working and Living in Japan, New York : Terra Cognita, ISBN 978 - 0 - 609 - 61114 - 2. Jump up ^ Horvat, Andrew ( 2000 ), Japanese Beyond Words : How to Walk and Talk Like a Native Speaker, Berkeley : Stone Bridge, pp. 28 -- 29, ISBN 978 - 1 - 880656 - 42 - 6. Jump up ^ `` shitter, n. '', Oxford English Dictionary, Oxford : Oxford University Press. Rooms and spaces of a house Shared residential rooms Billiard room Bonus room Common room Den Dining room Ell Family room Garret Great room Hearth room Home cinema Home office Kitchen Dirty kitchen Kitchenette Living room Man cave Recreation room Shrine Study Sunroom Spaces Atrium Balcony Breezeway Catio Conversation pit Deck Elevator Entryway / Genkan Foyer Hallway Lanai Loft Loggia Overhang Patio Porch screened sleeping Ramp Secret passage Stairs Terrace Veranda Vestibule Utility and storage Attic Basement Box room Carport Cloakroom Closet Electrical room Equipment room Furnace room / Boiler room Garage Janitorial closet Larder Laundry room / Utility room Mechanical room / floor Pantry Root cellar Semi-basement Spear closet Storm cellar / Safe room Studio Subbasement Wardrobe Wine cellar Wiring closet / Demarcation point Workshop Private rooms Bathroom Bedroom / Guest room Boudoir Cabinet Jack and Jill bathroom Nursery Suite Toilet Walk - in closet Great house areas Antechamber Ballroom Butler 's pantry Buttery Conservatory Courtyard Drawing room Fainting room Great chamber Great hall Long gallery Lumber room Parlour Porte - cochère Saucery Sauna Scullery Servants ' hall Servants ' quarters Smoking room Solar Spicery State room Still room Swimming pool Undercroft Other Building Furniture House plan Multi-family residential Secondary suite Single - family detached home Studio apartment Architectural elements Arch Baluster Ceiling Colonnade Column Floor Gate Lighting Medallion Ornament Portico Roof Vault Toilets Equipment Automatic toilet paper dispenser Ballcock Bedpan Bidet Bidet shower Brush Cistern Commode Electronic bidet Flushometer Roll holder Seat Seat cover Self - cleaning toilet bowl Self - cleaning toilet seat Toilet Toilet paper Trap ( U-bend ) Types Aircraft Arborloo Blair Bucket Cathole Chemical Composting Container - based Dry Dual flush Flush Freezing Head ( boat ) Hudo ( Scouting ) Incinerating Latrine Low - flush On - board Passenger train Pay Pit Pig Portable Public Sanisette ( self - cleaning ) Space Squat Treebog Urine - diverting dry Vacuum Washlet ( combined toilet and bidet ) Cultural aspects Accessible Adult diaper Bathroom privileges Feminine hygiene Honeywagon ( vehicle ) Incontinence pad Islamic toilet etiquette Istinja Latrinalia Privatization of public toilets Sex segregation in public restrooms Toilet god Toilet humor Toilet paper orientation Toilet - related injuries and deaths Toilet Twinning Unisex public Vacuum truck Jobs and activities Manual scavenging Slopping out Toileting Toilet training Washroom attendant Urine - related aspects Female urination device Interactive urinal Pissoir Pollee Urination Urinal Urinal ( health care ) Urine collection device Urine diversion Feces - related aspects Anal cleansing Defecation Defecation postures Fecal sludge management Flying toilet Open defecation Scatology Places Outhouse Rest area Shit Museum Sulabh International Museum of Toilets Toilet ( room ) Toilets in Japan Historical terms Aphedron Chamber pot Close stool Garderobe Gong farmer Groom of the stool Night soil Pail closet Privy midden Reredorter See also History of water supply and sanitation Sanitation Sewage treatment World Toilet Day LCCN : sh85135825 GND : 4442525 - 9 BNF : cb11962379p ( data ) NDL : 00560612 Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Toilet_(room)&oldid=832886045 '' Categories : Toilets Bathrooms Hidden categories : Articles with German - language external links Articles with French - language external links Articles containing Latin - language text All articles with unsourced statements Articles with unsourced statements from November 2016 Wikipedia articles with LCCN identifiers Wikipedia articles with GND identifiers Wikipedia articles with BNF identifiers Talk Contents About Wikipedia Bân - lâm - gú Eesti 客家 語 / Hak - kâ - ngî 한국어 Mìng - dĕ̤ng - ngṳ̄ 日本 語 Русский Svenska ไทย Tiếng Việt 吴语 粵語 中文 4 more Edit links This page was last edited on 28 March 2018, at 14 : 34. 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Question: when did indoor toilets become common in america
Answer: After World War I