"powder room" meaning in English

See powder room in All languages combined, or Wiktionary

Noun

Audio: LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-powder room.wav Forms: powder rooms [plural]
Etymology: In reference to lavatories, an indirection developed under the influence of powder one's nose (“euphemism for use a toilet”). Compare boudoir. Head templates: {{en-noun}} powder room (plural powder rooms)
  1. A room used to store gunpowder, particularly (historical) on a ship equipped with cannon. Synonyms (gunpowder storage): powder magazine
    Sense id: en-powder_room-en-noun-VM~0Pd6o Categories (other): Entries with translation boxes, Terms with German translations Disambiguation of Entries with translation boxes: 12 40 8 40 Disambiguation of Terms with German translations: 15 35 12 38 Disambiguation of 'gunpowder storage': 58 11 17 14
  2. (historical) A room used to powder hair and wigs. Tags: historical Categories (topical): Rooms Related terms: powder one's nose, take a powder
    Sense id: en-powder_room-en-noun-7-caw4h~ Disambiguation of Rooms: 8 13 36 43 Categories (other): Entries with translation boxes, Terms with German translations Disambiguation of Entries with translation boxes: 12 40 8 40 Disambiguation of Terms with German translations: 15 35 12 38
  3. (originally US, euphemistic) Synonym of ladies' room: a lavatory intended for use by women. Tags: euphemistic Categories (topical): Rooms, Toilet (room) Synonyms: ladies' room [synonym, synonym-of] Synonyms (lavatory for women): bathroom Translations (ladies room): дамска тоалетна (damska toaletna) (Bulgarian), 化妝室 /化妆室 (huàzhuāngshì) (Chinese Mandarin), Toilette [feminine] (German), Badezimmer [neuter] (German)
    Sense id: en-powder_room-en-noun-Oof98t7Y Disambiguation of Rooms: 8 13 36 43 Disambiguation of Toilet (room): 5 7 43 45 Categories (other): American English, English euphemisms, Terms with German translations Disambiguation of Terms with German translations: 15 35 12 38 Disambiguation of 'lavatory for women': 2 2 93 4 Disambiguation of 'ladies room': 6 12 47 35
  4. (euphemistic) Synonym of half bath: a small room with a toilet and sink but no bathtub or shower. Tags: euphemistic Categories (topical): Hair, Rooms, Toilet (room) Synonyms: half bath [synonym, synonym-of]
    Sense id: en-powder_room-en-noun-ZTGkhlK8 Disambiguation of Hair: 5 24 24 46 Disambiguation of Rooms: 8 13 36 43 Disambiguation of Toilet (room): 5 7 43 45 Categories (other): English euphemisms, English entries with incorrect language header, Entries with translation boxes, Pages with 1 entry, Pages with entries, Terms with Bulgarian translations, Terms with German translations, Terms with Mandarin translations Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 6 24 13 56 Disambiguation of Entries with translation boxes: 12 40 8 40 Disambiguation of Pages with 1 entry: 9 23 10 59 Disambiguation of Pages with entries: 6 28 6 60 Disambiguation of Terms with Bulgarian translations: 16 26 20 37 Disambiguation of Terms with German translations: 15 35 12 38 Disambiguation of Terms with Mandarin translations: 13 21 27 38
The following are not (yet) sense-disambiguated
Synonyms (powdering room): powder closet Translations (room to store powder): Pulverkammer [feminine] (German)
Disambiguation of 'powdering room': 30 37 18 15 Disambiguation of 'room to store powder': 42 36 12 10

Inflected forms

{
  "etymology_text": "In reference to lavatories, an indirection developed under the influence of powder one's nose (“euphemism for use a toilet”). Compare boudoir.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "powder rooms",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "powder room (plural powder rooms)",
      "name": "en-noun"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "noun",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "12 40 8 40",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Entries with translation boxes",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "15 35 12 38",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with German translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "Are you insane? Don't take a candle into the powder room!",
          "type": "example"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A room used to store gunpowder, particularly (historical) on a ship equipped with cannon."
      ],
      "id": "en-powder_room-en-noun-VM~0Pd6o",
      "links": [
        [
          "room",
          "room"
        ],
        [
          "use",
          "use"
        ],
        [
          "store",
          "store"
        ],
        [
          "gunpowder",
          "gunpowder"
        ],
        [
          "particularly",
          "particularly"
        ],
        [
          "ship",
          "ship"
        ],
        [
          "equip",
          "equip"
        ],
        [
          "cannon",
          "cannon"
        ]
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "_dis1": "58 11 17 14",
          "sense": "gunpowder storage",
          "word": "powder magazine"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "12 40 8 40",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Entries with translation boxes",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "15 35 12 38",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with German translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "8 13 36 43",
          "kind": "topical",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "Rooms",
          "orig": "en:Rooms",
          "parents": [
            "Buildings and structures",
            "Architecture",
            "Applied sciences",
            "Art",
            "Sciences",
            "Culture",
            "All topics",
            "Society",
            "Fundamental"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A room used to powder hair and wigs."
      ],
      "id": "en-powder_room-en-noun-7-caw4h~",
      "links": [
        [
          "room",
          "room"
        ],
        [
          "use",
          "use"
        ],
        [
          "powder",
          "powder"
        ],
        [
          "hair",
          "hair"
        ],
        [
          "wig",
          "wig"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(historical) A room used to powder hair and wigs."
      ],
      "related": [
        {
          "_dis1": "28 40 17 14",
          "word": "powder one's nose"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "28 40 17 14",
          "word": "take a powder"
        }
      ],
      "tags": [
        "historical"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "American English",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English euphemisms",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "15 35 12 38",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with German translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "8 13 36 43",
          "kind": "topical",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "Rooms",
          "orig": "en:Rooms",
          "parents": [
            "Buildings and structures",
            "Architecture",
            "Applied sciences",
            "Art",
            "Sciences",
            "Culture",
            "All topics",
            "Society",
            "Fundamental"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "5 7 43 45",
          "kind": "topical",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "Toilet (room)",
          "orig": "en:Toilet (room)",
          "parents": [
            "Hygiene",
            "Rooms",
            "Health",
            "Buildings and structures",
            "Body",
            "Architecture",
            "All topics",
            "Applied sciences",
            "Art",
            "Fundamental",
            "Sciences",
            "Culture",
            "Society"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "If you'll excuse me, I need to visit the powder room to see a man about a dog.",
          "type": "example"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1927, E.A. Park, chapter IX, in New Backgrounds for a New Age, page 173:",
          "text": "They are the authors of the small powder room in the Hofbrau House at Broadway and Fifty-third Street, New York, a very modern creation.",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Synonym of ladies' room: a lavatory intended for use by women."
      ],
      "id": "en-powder_room-en-noun-Oof98t7Y",
      "links": [
        [
          "ladies' room",
          "ladies' room#English"
        ],
        [
          "lavatory",
          "lavatory"
        ],
        [
          "intend",
          "intend"
        ],
        [
          "use",
          "use"
        ],
        [
          "women",
          "women"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(originally US, euphemistic) Synonym of ladies' room: a lavatory intended for use by women."
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "extra": "a lavatory intended for use by women",
          "tags": [
            "synonym",
            "synonym-of"
          ],
          "word": "ladies' room"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "2 2 93 4",
          "sense": "lavatory for women",
          "word": "bathroom"
        }
      ],
      "tags": [
        "euphemistic"
      ],
      "translations": [
        {
          "_dis1": "6 12 47 35",
          "code": "bg",
          "lang": "Bulgarian",
          "roman": "damska toaletna",
          "sense": "ladies room",
          "word": "дамска тоалетна"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "6 12 47 35",
          "code": "cmn",
          "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
          "roman": "huàzhuāngshì",
          "sense": "ladies room",
          "word": "化妝室 /化妆室"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "6 12 47 35",
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "ladies room",
          "tags": [
            "feminine"
          ],
          "word": "Toilette"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "6 12 47 35",
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "ladies room",
          "tags": [
            "neuter"
          ],
          "word": "Badezimmer"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English euphemisms",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "6 24 13 56",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with incorrect language header",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "12 40 8 40",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Entries with translation boxes",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "9 23 10 59",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with 1 entry",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "6 28 6 60",
          "kind": "other",
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          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "16 26 20 37",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Bulgarian translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "15 35 12 38",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with German translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "13 21 27 38",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Mandarin translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "5 24 24 46",
          "kind": "topical",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "Hair",
          "orig": "en:Hair",
          "parents": [
            "Body parts",
            "Body",
            "Anatomy",
            "All topics",
            "Biology",
            "Medicine",
            "Fundamental",
            "Sciences",
            "Healthcare",
            "Health"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "8 13 36 43",
          "kind": "topical",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "Rooms",
          "orig": "en:Rooms",
          "parents": [
            "Buildings and structures",
            "Architecture",
            "Applied sciences",
            "Art",
            "Sciences",
            "Culture",
            "All topics",
            "Society",
            "Fundamental"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "5 7 43 45",
          "kind": "topical",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "Toilet (room)",
          "orig": "en:Toilet (room)",
          "parents": [
            "Hygiene",
            "Rooms",
            "Health",
            "Buildings and structures",
            "Body",
            "Architecture",
            "All topics",
            "Applied sciences",
            "Art",
            "Fundamental",
            "Sciences",
            "Culture",
            "Society"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Synonym of half bath: a small room with a toilet and sink but no bathtub or shower."
      ],
      "id": "en-powder_room-en-noun-ZTGkhlK8",
      "links": [
        [
          "half bath",
          "half bath#English"
        ],
        [
          "small",
          "small"
        ],
        [
          "room",
          "room"
        ],
        [
          "toilet",
          "toilet"
        ],
        [
          "sink",
          "sink"
        ],
        [
          "no",
          "no"
        ],
        [
          "bathtub",
          "bathtub"
        ],
        [
          "shower",
          "shower"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(euphemistic) Synonym of half bath: a small room with a toilet and sink but no bathtub or shower."
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "extra": "a small room with a toilet and sink but no bathtub or shower",
          "tags": [
            "synonym",
            "synonym-of"
          ],
          "word": "half bath"
        }
      ],
      "tags": [
        "euphemistic"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "audio": "LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-powder room.wav",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/d/dc/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Flame%2C_not_lame-powder_room.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Flame%2C_not_lame-powder_room.wav.mp3",
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    }
  ],
  "synonyms": [
    {
      "_dis1": "30 37 18 15",
      "sense": "powdering room",
      "word": "powder closet"
    }
  ],
  "translations": [
    {
      "_dis1": "42 36 12 10",
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "room to store powder",
      "tags": [
        "feminine"
      ],
      "word": "Pulverkammer"
    }
  ],
  "word": "powder room"
}
{
  "categories": [
    "English countable nouns",
    "English entries with incorrect language header",
    "English lemmas",
    "English multiword terms",
    "English nouns",
    "Entries with translation boxes",
    "Pages with 1 entry",
    "Pages with entries",
    "Terms with Bulgarian translations",
    "Terms with German translations",
    "Terms with Mandarin translations",
    "en:Hair",
    "en:Rooms",
    "en:Toilet (room)"
  ],
  "etymology_text": "In reference to lavatories, an indirection developed under the influence of powder one's nose (“euphemism for use a toilet”). Compare boudoir.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "powder rooms",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "powder room (plural powder rooms)",
      "name": "en-noun"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "noun",
  "related": [
    {
      "word": "powder one's nose"
    },
    {
      "word": "take a powder"
    }
  ],
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "English terms with historical senses",
        "English terms with usage examples"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "Are you insane? Don't take a candle into the powder room!",
          "type": "example"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A room used to store gunpowder, particularly (historical) on a ship equipped with cannon."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "room",
          "room"
        ],
        [
          "use",
          "use"
        ],
        [
          "store",
          "store"
        ],
        [
          "gunpowder",
          "gunpowder"
        ],
        [
          "particularly",
          "particularly"
        ],
        [
          "ship",
          "ship"
        ],
        [
          "equip",
          "equip"
        ],
        [
          "cannon",
          "cannon"
        ]
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "English terms with historical senses"
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A room used to powder hair and wigs."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "room",
          "room"
        ],
        [
          "use",
          "use"
        ],
        [
          "powder",
          "powder"
        ],
        [
          "hair",
          "hair"
        ],
        [
          "wig",
          "wig"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(historical) A room used to powder hair and wigs."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "historical"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "American English",
        "English euphemisms",
        "English terms with quotations",
        "English terms with usage examples"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "If you'll excuse me, I need to visit the powder room to see a man about a dog.",
          "type": "example"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1927, E.A. Park, chapter IX, in New Backgrounds for a New Age, page 173:",
          "text": "They are the authors of the small powder room in the Hofbrau House at Broadway and Fifty-third Street, New York, a very modern creation.",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Synonym of ladies' room: a lavatory intended for use by women."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "ladies' room",
          "ladies' room#English"
        ],
        [
          "lavatory",
          "lavatory"
        ],
        [
          "intend",
          "intend"
        ],
        [
          "use",
          "use"
        ],
        [
          "women",
          "women"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(originally US, euphemistic) Synonym of ladies' room: a lavatory intended for use by women."
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "extra": "a lavatory intended for use by women",
          "tags": [
            "synonym",
            "synonym-of"
          ],
          "word": "ladies' room"
        }
      ],
      "tags": [
        "euphemistic"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "English euphemisms"
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Synonym of half bath: a small room with a toilet and sink but no bathtub or shower."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "half bath",
          "half bath#English"
        ],
        [
          "small",
          "small"
        ],
        [
          "room",
          "room"
        ],
        [
          "toilet",
          "toilet"
        ],
        [
          "sink",
          "sink"
        ],
        [
          "no",
          "no"
        ],
        [
          "bathtub",
          "bathtub"
        ],
        [
          "shower",
          "shower"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(euphemistic) Synonym of half bath: a small room with a toilet and sink but no bathtub or shower."
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "extra": "a small room with a toilet and sink but no bathtub or shower",
          "tags": [
            "synonym",
            "synonym-of"
          ],
          "word": "half bath"
        }
      ],
      "tags": [
        "euphemistic"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
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    }
  ],
  "synonyms": [
    {
      "sense": "gunpowder storage",
      "word": "powder magazine"
    },
    {
      "sense": "powdering room",
      "word": "powder closet"
    },
    {
      "sense": "lavatory for women",
      "word": "bathroom"
    }
  ],
  "translations": [
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "room to store powder",
      "tags": [
        "feminine"
      ],
      "word": "Pulverkammer"
    },
    {
      "code": "bg",
      "lang": "Bulgarian",
      "roman": "damska toaletna",
      "sense": "ladies room",
      "word": "дамска тоалетна"
    },
    {
      "code": "cmn",
      "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
      "roman": "huàzhuāngshì",
      "sense": "ladies room",
      "word": "化妝室 /化妆室"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "ladies room",
      "tags": [
        "feminine"
      ],
      "word": "Toilette"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "ladies room",
      "tags": [
        "neuter"
      ],
      "word": "Badezimmer"
    }
  ],
  "word": "powder room"
}

Download raw JSONL data for powder room meaning in English (4.4kB)


This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2025-02-03 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2025-01-20 using wiktextract (05fdf6b and 9dbd323). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.

If you use this data in academic research, please cite Tatu Ylonen: Wiktextract: Wiktionary as Machine-Readable Structured Data, Proceedings of the 13th Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC), pp. 1317-1325, Marseille, 20-25 June 2022. Linking to the relevant page(s) under https://kaikki.org would also be greatly appreciated.