loo

¹

[ loo ]

noun

, plural loos.

1. a card game in which forfeits are paid into a pool.
2. the forfeit or sum paid into the pool.
3. the fact of being looed.

verb (used with object)

, looed, loo·ing.

1. to subject to a forfeit at loo.

loo

²

[ loo ]

noun

, British Informal.

, plural loos.

1. toilet.

loo

³

[ loo ]

verb (used with or without object)

, Chiefly Northern U.S.

plural: looslooed looing

1. low ².

loo

⁴

[ loo ]

noun

looed looingplural: loos

1. Scots. love.

loo

¹

/ luː /

noun

1. a gambling card game
2. a stake used in this game

loo

²

/ luː /

verb

1. See lou
   a variant spelling of lou

loo

³

/ luː /

noun

1. See lavatory
   an informal word for lavatory

Word History and Origins

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of loo¹

C17: shortened form of lanterloo, via Dutch from French lanterelu, originally a meaningless word from the refrain of a popular song

Origin of loo²

C20: perhaps from French lieux d'aisance water closet

Example Sentences

That loo was incorporated into a project that also includes UC San Diego Extension space that’s set to open soon.

From Voice of San Diego

The Park Boulevard and Market Street loo incorporated into the UC San Diego downtown office and residential tower development has been locked on and off since at least Saturday.

From Voice of San Diego

The loo was locked when Voice of San Diego visited on Monday afternoon.

From Voice of San Diego

Long, off-set two-way side zippers in the front provide the novel ability to visit the loo without removing your jacket because they have more give.

From Outside Online

Jokingly, all these loos that were built were called “Leena’s Loos.”

From Time

He would laboriously make his way from desk to loo, belt down a few, then return.

From The Daily Beast

While her English classmates were learning to wash their hands, Nadia was worried that the devil was leering at her on the loo.

From The Daily Beast

“Several of them have said that they are drinking less than before, which is kind of logical,” Van Loo says.

From The Daily Beast

Janneke van Loo, the regional manager for Rainbow, runs a park-cleaning group in East Amsterdam.

From The Daily Beast

I was wearing a rather huge, billowy Maxi skirt and I must have lost track of exactly where it all was while on loo.

From The Daily Beast

The third game, or lanterloo, is evidently the original form of the game now known as loo.

From Project Gutenberg

The partition planned at Loo was the partition of an ill governed empire which was not a nation.

From Project Gutenberg

The partition planned at Loo was therefore the very opposite of the partition of Poland.

From Project Gutenberg

Full powers must be sent to Loo, sealed, but with blanks left for the names of the plenipotentiaries.

From Project Gutenberg

It had been necessary to trust so many deputies and magistrates that rumours of what had been passing at Loo got abroad.

From Project Gutenberg