ENGLISH
REFERENCE

powder room

n. countable
B1 Intermediate
Definition

n. a small bathroom in a house or restaurant that only has a toilet and a sink. It is usually for guests and does not have a shower or bathtub.

n. a small secondary bathroom containing only a toilet and washbasin, primarily intended for guest use in a residential or commercial setting. Commonly used as a polite or slightly formal euphemism for a restroom.


SIMPLE

The guests can use the small powder room near the front door.

CONTEXTUAL

While the main bathrooms are upstairs, we added a convenient powder room on the ground floor for visitors.

COMPLEX

Architects frequently position the powder room adjacent to the foyer, ensuring guest privacy while keeping the more intimate family living quarters entirely separate during social gatherings.

Usage

Typically designates a ground-floor facility without bathing fixtures; less clinical and more polite than 'toilet'.

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