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Synonyms

outhouse

American  
[out-hous] / ˈaʊtˌhaʊs /

noun

plural

outhouses

  1. an outbuilding with one or more seats and a pit serving as a toilet; privy.

  2. any outbuilding.

outhouse British  
/ ˈaʊtˌhaʊs /

noun

  1. a building near to, but separate from, a main building; outbuilding

  2. an outside lavatory

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of outhouse

First recorded in 1525–35; out- + house

Vocabulary lists containing outhouse

"The Wife of Bath's Tale," Vocabulary from the narrative poem

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Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Soon, their coach earned a slew of pejorative nicknames like Nuthouse and Outhouse.

From New York Times • May 9, 2022

The Trenary Outhouse Classic, canceled this year but returning in 2022, may be the most eccentric of the season.

From Washington Post • Sep. 16, 2021

Too many people to credit suggested that Marco Pollo met General Tso while crossing the Silk Road and that Richard Outhouse Nixon really needed plumbers.

From Washington Post • Sep. 26, 2019

On these pages a couple of days ago, we sliced, diced and analyzed the myriad problems of Pac-12 basketball, the working title of which was, How'd We Ever Get in This Lousy Outhouse?

From Seattle Times • Feb. 22, 2012

On the other hand, he wanted to know where Grandpa Outhouse was at all times.

From "Healer of the Water Monster" by Brian Young

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.