night-chair
The wooden night-chair stands in the corner of a dimly lit bedroom next to a small side table.
Definition
- Noun:
- A portable toilet for nighttime use: "night-chair" refers to a chair-like piece of furniture with a built-in chamber pot, used as a toilet during the night, especially before modern indoor plumbing became common. It is synonymous with a commode or close stool.
Usage Examples
- (A portable toilet used at night.)
- (A commode for nighttime toileting.)
Advanced Usage
- "to use a night-chair": to employ this piece of furniture for its intended purpose.
- Before bathrooms were common, people would use a night-chair rather than go outside in the dark. (To rely on a portable toilet indoors during nighttime.)
Variants and Related Words
Night-stool (n): a synonym for night-chair, also referring to a chamber pot set within a stool.
- The night-stool was often hidden behind a curtain in the bedroom. (A similar portable toilet.)
Commode (n): a more general term for a piece of furniture containing a chamber pot.
- The antique commode served as both a chair and a toilet. (A synonym for night-chair.)
Synonyms
- Chamber pot: a bowl used for urination and defecation, often kept under a bed or inside a night-chair.
- Close stool: a box or stool containing a chamber pot, used as a toilet.
Related Idioms
- "To be caught on the night-chair": an archaic or humorous expression meaning to be in an embarrassing or vulnerable position.
- He was caught on the night-chair when the guests arrived unexpectedly. (He was in a private, compromising situation.)