Definition

Noun: A room in a public building that contains one or more toilets and often washing facilities, intended for use by the public, customers, or employees.

Usage

The word "restroom" is a polite and common term used in American English to refer to a public toilet facility. It is typically used to ask for directions or to indicate the need to use such a facility. It is considered more formal and less direct than words like "bathroom" or "toilet."

Examples

• "Excuse me, could you tell me where the restroom is?"
• "The restroom is located down the hall to your left."
• "Please make sure the restroom is clean before the store opens."
• "The gas station has a restroom for customers."

Advanced Usage

• "Public restroom": Specifies a restroom open to anyone, often maintained by a city or in a park.
  • The city installed new public restrooms in the downtown park.
• "Men's/Women's restroom": Specifies the gender-specific facility.
  • The conference center has separate men's and women's restrooms on every floor.

Variants and Related Words

• Lavatory (noun): A more formal term, often used in British English or in contexts like airplanes.
• Washroom (noun): A common term in Canadian English, equivalent to "restroom."
• Toilet (noun): A direct term for the fixture itself or, in British English, the room containing it.
• Bathroom (noun): In American English, often used interchangeably with "restroom," though it literally implies a room with a bath.

Synonyms

• Public toilet
• Lavatory
• Washroom
• Comfort station (a more formal or older term)

Related Phrases

• "Use the restroom": A polite phrase meaning to go to the toilet.
  • I need to use the restroom before we leave.
• "Restroom break": A pause in an activity for people to use the restroom.
  • We'll take a 15-minute restroom break after this session.

Noun

1. a toilet that is available to the public