jakes
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
Noun: 1. A small, simple outdoor toilet; an outhouse: A basic, often temporary, structure used as a toilet, typically located away from a main building. It usually consists of a small shed with a bench seat over a pit.
Usage
- The word "jakes" is an old-fashioned, informal, and somewhat archaic term for an outdoor toilet or privy. It is rarely used in modern, formal English but may appear in historical contexts, regional dialects, or literature.
Examples
- Noun:
- In the 18th century, the manor's servants used a jakes at the bottom of the garden.
- The old farmhouse didn't have indoor plumbing, so they relied on a jakes out back.
Advanced Usage
- The term is often used to evoke a historical or rustic setting. It can carry connotations of being basic, unsanitary, or primitive compared to modern facilities.
Variants and Related Words
- Privy (noun): A more common historical synonym for an outdoor toilet.
- Outhouse (noun): The standard modern term for a small outbuilding containing a toilet, especially in North American English.
- Latrine (noun): A toilet or communal toilet facility in a camp, barracks, or similar setting, often implying a temporary or basic structure.
Synonyms
- Outhouse
- Privy
- Latrine
- Earth closet
Idioms
- None directly associated with the word "jakes" itself. The word is typically used literally to describe the structure.
Noun
- a small outbuilding with a bench having holes through which a user can defecate