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• john
  john

  noun

  a toilet or bathroom.
• John
  John

  noun

  the apostle John, believed to be the author of the fourth Gospel, three Epistles, and the book of Revelation.

john

¹ American  

[jon] / dʒɒn /

noun

Slang.

• johns
  plural

1. a toilet or bathroom.

2. (sometimes initial capital letter) a fellow; guy.

3. (sometimes initial capital letter) a prostitute's customer.

4. Also called john mule.  a male mule, or more properly a gelded mule.

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John ² American  

[jon] / dʒɒn /

noun

1. the apostle John, believed to be the author of the fourth Gospel, three Epistles, and the book of Revelation.

2. John the Baptist.

3. John Lackland, 1167?–1216, king of England 1199–1216; signer of the Magna Carta 1215 (son of Henry II of England).

4. Augustus Edwin, 1878–1961, British painter and etcher.

5. Elton Reginald Kenneth Dwight, born 1947, English rock singer, pianist, and songwriter.

6. the fourth Gospel.

7. any of the three Epistles of John: 1, 2, or 3 John.

8. a male given name.

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John ¹ British  

/ dʒɒn /

noun

1. New Testament

   1. the apostle John, the son of Zebedee, identified with the author of the fourth Gospel, three epistles, and the book of Revelation. Feast day: Dec 27 or Sept 26

   2. the fourth Gospel

   3. any of three epistles (in full The First, Second, and Third Epistles of John )

2. See John the Baptist

3. known as John Lackland. 1167–1216, king of England (1199–1216); son of Henry II. He succeeded to the throne on the death of his brother Richard I, having previously tried to usurp the throne. War with France led to the loss of most of his French possessions. After his refusal to recognize Stephen Langton as archbishop of Canterbury an interdict was imposed on England (1208–14). In 1215 he was compelled by the barons to grant the Magna Carta

4. called the Fearless . 1371–1419, duke of Burgundy (1404–19). His attempt to control the mad king Charles VI and his murder of the king's brother led to civil war: assassinated

5. Augustus ( Edwin ). 1878–1961, British painter, esp of portraits

6. Barry born 1945, Welsh Rugby Union footballer: halfback for Wales (1966–72) and the British Lions (1968–71)

7. Sir Elton ( Hercules ). original name Reginald Dwight. born 1947, British rock pianist, composer, and singer; his hits include "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" (1973) and "Candle in the Wind 1997" (1997), a tribute to Diana, Princess of Wales

8. Gwen , sister of Augustus John. 1876–1939, British painter, working in France: noted esp for her portraits of women

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john ² British  

/ dʒɒn /

noun

1. a slang word for lavatory

2. slang a prostitute's client

3. slang short for John Hop

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• johns
  plural

Etymology

Origin of john¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English Johan, Iohan, John; generic use of the proper name

Origin of John²

Middle English Johan, John, Jon, from Medieval Latin Jō(h)annēs, from Greek Iōánnēs, from Hebrew Yôkhānān, contracted from Yĕhôkhānān “God has been gracious”; cf. Anna ( def. ), Yahweh ( def. )

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

john John johns

The story goes that when Gen. John Kelly, the White House chief of staff, called Tillerson to warn the tweet was coming, the secretary was on the john.

From Salon ● Apr. 23, 2026

They also signed defensive back Buster Skrine and brought back outside linebacker john Simon.

From Seattle Times ● Nov. 23, 2021

No one felt like they had to follow McCain into the bathroom, and even if they had, he would’ve given a press conference from the john.

From Slate ● Oct. 9, 2021

If anyone can help me please john has an eating problem and can only eat these from asda all he can tolerate.

From BBC ● Mar. 30, 2020

And of course it is crucial to visit the john right before the assembly.

From "The Misfits" by James Howe

The Angels still have a long way to go, but John Mozeliak’s decision to trade away a significant part of the roster could be a significant turning point.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 6, 2026

Hampshire and England fast bowler John Turner has retired from cricket because of persistent injuries.

From BBC ● Aug. 6, 2026

“The top-heavy Big Tech segment of the market is getting choppy,” according to John Burrello, a senior portfolio manager for global strategies at Invesco.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 6, 2026

Federal prosecutors said Raymond John Pirrello, Jr., Joseph Passalaqua and Robert Cassino lied to investors about hidden markups and fees.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 6, 2026

John stared straight ahead, then told her what it felt like to get struck by lightning.

From "Storm Runners" by Roland Smith

Israeli organized crime figures and Latino gang members played cards with deep-pocketed square johns.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 6, 2025

There was a pervasive smell of what I would learn was wet, sweaty long johns.

From Slate ● Apr. 27, 2025

This time period also brought the introduction of union suits—predecessors of long johns and onesies—to meet the needs of both men and women.

From National Geographic ● Jan. 9, 2024

Teams dress in layers — long johns, hats, gloves and hand warmers for the frigid overnight and morning hours.

From Seattle Times ● Oct. 4, 2023

The county had no sewer system, he explained, so when people flushed their johns, the discharge went straight into the Tug.

From "The Glass Castle" by Jeannette Walls

Related Words

• latrine
• lavatory
• men's room
• outhouse
• toilet
• urinal