loo
1 Americannoun
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a card game in which forfeits are paid into a pool.
-
the forfeit or sum paid into the pool.
-
the fact of being looed.
verb (used with object)
noun
verb (used with or without object)
noun
noun
-
a gambling card game
-
a stake used in this game
noun
verb
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of loo1
First recorded in 1665–75; short for lanterloo, from Dutch lanterlu, from French lantur(e)lu, a special use of a meaningless refrain of an old song
Origin of loo2
First recorded in 1935–40; of uncertain origin; perhaps from French lieux (d'aisances) “latrines, toilets,” literally, “places of ease”; perhaps a pun on the place name Waterloo, based on water closet
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 loo will come with a fan and exhaust pipe to channel odours out of the car, according to the filing on China's intellectual property administration seen by the BBC.
From BBC • Apr. 17, 2026
"We need to stop flushing crop and tree-growing nutrients down the loo, and start using them to increase our fertiliser security. After all, we're not about to run out of urine any time soon."
From BBC • Apr. 2, 2026
Unlike a wearable, which is easy enough to leave on your nightstand, the loo is something you can’t forget to use.
From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 26, 2025
The purported health risks of extended loo time have long circulated through doctors’ offices and news articles.
From Slate • Sep. 12, 2025
“I mean it’s probably not an eel. Just a fish that loo Li like an eel.”
From "Rules" by Cynthia Lord
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.
