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necessary house

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary

English

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Etymology

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Likely formed under influence from necessarium (monastic latrine, outhouse, or lavatory) and necessary (outhouse; lavatory).

Noun

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necessary house (plural necessary houses)

  1. (euphemistic, obsolete) An outhouse: an outbuilding used for the "necessary" business of urination and defecation.
    • 1747 15 December, Lord Chesterfield, letter:
      I knew a gentleman who was so good a manager of his time that he would not even lose that small portion of it which the calls of nature obliged him to pass in the necessary-house; but gradually went through all the Latin poets in those moments.

Synonyms

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References

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  • Oxford English Dictionary, 3rd ed. "necessary, adj. and n." Oxford University Press (Oxford), 2003.