commode

American  

[kuh-mohd] / kəˈmoʊd /

noun

1. a low cabinet or similar piece of furniture, often highly ornamental, containing drawers or shelves.

2. a stand or cupboard containing a chamber pot or washbasin.

3. toilet.

4. a portable toilet, especially one on a chairlike frame with wheels, as for an invalid.

5. an elaborate headdress consisting chiefly of a high framework decorated with lace, ribbons, etc., worn perched on top of the hair by women in the late 17th and early 18th centuries.

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commode British  

/ kəˈməʊd /

noun

1. a piece of furniture, usually highly ornamented, containing drawers or shelves

2. a bedside table with a cabinet below for a chamber pot or washbasin

3. a movable piece of furniture, sometimes in the form of a chair, with a hinged flap concealing a chamber pot

4. a woman's high-tiered headdress of lace, worn in the late 17th century

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Etymology

Origin of commode

First recorded in 1680–90; from French, from Latin commodus “convenient, fitting, suitable”; equivalent to com- + mode ¹

Example Sentences

Three years later, the Guggenheim sent its commode to England’s Blenheim Palace, where it was installed in Winston Churchill’s wood-paneled bathroom.

From The Wall Street Journal

The toilet has a lot of potential as a health monitor, says Seung-min Park, who led a Stanford School of Medicine project to develop a smart commode.

From The Wall Street Journal

There's a commode in her living room until she can get a downstairs toilet, and wall rails have had to be fitted to help her move about.

From BBC

Some of the nurses were wearing adult nappies or using patient commodes because there wasn’t time for toilet breaks.

From BBC

Managing her mother's pain, plus arranging items such as a wheelchair and commode, meant Ceridwen Hughes was not able to say a proper goodbye.

From BBC

Related Words

• dresser