outhouse
Americannoun
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outhouses
plural
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an outbuilding with one or more seats and a pit serving as a toilet; privy.
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any outbuilding.
noun
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a building near to, but separate from, a main building; outbuilding
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an outside lavatory
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of outhouse
Vocabulary lists containing outhouse
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.
See Examples For:
We used candles, pumped water and had an outhouse.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 3, 2026
Squish Factor – The outhouse at the dogsledding camp was surprisingly roomy and very clean!
From Salon ● Jul. 20, 2025
He threw himself into the project, spending a week installing a 2,600-gallon water tank, an outhouse and a plywood shack to sleep in with stud walls and a steel door.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 4, 2024
They hired VJL Builders to do the work, a contract worth £68,000 to build an extension and convert an outhouse into a garage.
From BBC ● Feb. 7, 2024
She was not quite tall enough to reach things around the kitchen, but she kept a small box in the outhouse which she brought in and stood on in order to get whatever she wanted.
From "Matilda" by Roald Dahl
“We were basically homesteading the first 12 years. For the longest time, we didn’t have plumbing. We were using outhouses and washing dishes in the lake,” he admitted.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 1, 2026
I also spent time with colleagues, even helping one of them with the animals in her outhouses.
From BBC ● Dec. 17, 2025
The lack of sewer lines means outhouses are a common sight.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 7, 2024
As it turns out we have three outhouses, excuse me “Johns” to turn to as a potential replacement for the outgoing Mitch.
From Salon ● Feb. 29, 2024
Queen Dot’s Throne started showing up on outhouses all around town.
From Full of Beans by Jennifer L. Holm
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
