backhouse

[ bak-hous ]
/ ˈbækˌhaʊs /

noun, plural back·hous·es [bak-hou-ziz] /ˈbækˌhaʊ zɪz/.

a building behind the main building, often serving a subsidiary purpose.
a privy; outhouse.

QUIZZES

DO YOU KNOW THIS VOCABULARY FROM "THE HANDMAID'S TALE"?

"The Handmaid's Tale" was required reading for many of us in school. Everyone else has probably watched the very popular and addictive TV show. Do you remember this vocabulary from the book, and do you know what these terms mean?
Question 1 of 10
decorum
the act of or need for making up one's mind.
dignified propriety of behavior, speech, dress, etc.
a company of singers, especially an organized group employed in church service.
TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of backhouse

First recorded in 1550–60; back1 + house

Words nearby backhouse

backhand, backhanded, backhander, backhaul, backhoe, backhouse, backie, backing, backing dog, backing light, backing store
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Example sentences from the Web for backhouse

British Dictionary definitions for backhouse

backhouse
/ (ˈbækˌhaʊs) /

noun

Canadian another word for outhouse
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