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Synonyms

latrine

American  
[luh-treen] / ləˈtrin /

noun

  1. a toilet or something used as a toilet, as a trench in the earth in a camp, or bivouac area.

latrine British  
/ ləˈtriːn /

noun

  1. a lavatory, as in a barracks, camp, etc

"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 latrine

1635–45; < French < Latin lātrīna, short for lavātrīna place for washing, derivative of lavāre to wash

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.

The parasite analysis focused on sediment taken from a sewer drain connected to the latrine block of a bath complex dating to the 3rd century CE.

From Science Daily • Dec. 21, 2025

There was no water, and the stench of the latrine was unbearable.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 18, 2025

Here are treasures from the Roman latrine to the Tudor garderobe to the Victorian water closet to the elegant “compactum.”

From New York Times • Nov. 23, 2024

Allan Sila, 17, said sitting in his classroom is like studying in a smelly latrine.

From Seattle Times • May 5, 2024

The most stomach-turning odors rose up from the open latrine pits where the men—and Nate—all did their private business.

From I Survived the American Revolution, 1776 by Lauren Tarshis

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.