privy

[ priv-ee ]

/ ˈprɪv i /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR privy ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective, priv·i·er, priv·i·est.

participating in the knowledge of something private or secret (usually followed by to): Many persons were privy to the plot.

private; assigned to private uses.

belonging or pertaining to some particular person, especially with reference to a sovereign.

secret, concealed, hidden, or secluded.

acting or done in secret.

noun, plural priv·ies.

outhouse(def 1).

Law. a person participating directly in or having a derivative interest in a legal transaction.

Nearby words

privileged, privileged altar, privileged site, privily, privity, privies, privy chamber, privy coat, privy council, privy purse, privy seal

Origin of privy

1175–1225; Middle English prive < Old French: private (adj.), close friend, private place (noun) < Latin prīvātus private

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for privies

Danger, from drainage of barns and barnyards, 137;from leachings from privies and cesspools, 138.
Rural Hygiene|Henry N. Ogden
They go naked, covering only the privies with some articles called bahaques, made from the bark of trees.
The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898 - Volume 40 of 55|Francisco Colin
For non-compliance with notice for the construction of drains, privies, &c., 10s.
Cooley's Practical Receipts, Volume II|Arnold Cooley
Country homes would be as healthy as city homes if the privies and stables were screened.
The Mother and Her Child|William S. Sadler

The Furlenbach was unquestionably contaminated by the privies of the adjacent farm-houses; the soil-pits communicated with it.
A System of Practical Medicine by American Authors, Vol. I|Various

British Dictionary definitions for privies

privy

/ (ˈprɪvɪ) /

adjective privier or priviest

(postpositive foll by to) participating in the knowledge of something secret

archaic secret, hidden, etc

archaic of or relating to one person only

noun plural privies

a lavatory, esp an outside one

law a person in privity with anotherSee privity (def. 1)

Word Origin for privy

C13: from Old French privé something private, from Latin prīvātus private

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

Word Origin and History for privies (1 of 2)

privy

adj.

"private," early 13c., from Old French privé "friendly, intimate; a private place," from Latin privatus "private, personal" (see private (adj.)). Meaning "participating in (a secret)" (usually with to) is attested from late 14c. Related: Privily. Privy Council is from c.1300 in a general sense; specifically of the British government, first attested late 14c., as consaile priue. Privy member "organ of sex" is from late 13c.

Word Origin and History for privies (1 of 2)

privy

"toilet," c.1200, from Old French privé, privee "latrine," literally "private place," from noun use of adjective privé (see privy (adj.)).

privy

adjective, priv·i·er, priv·i·est.

noun, plural priv·ies.

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Origin of privy

Examples from the Web for privies

British Dictionary definitions for privies

privy

adjective privier or priviest

noun plural privies

Word Origin for privy

Word Origin and History for privies (1 of 2)

privy

Word Origin and History for privies (1 of 2)

privy