necessarium
nounUK /ˌnɛsɪˈsɛəɹɪəm/ · US /ˌnɛsɪˈsɛɹi.əm/
Etymology From Latin necessarium (“reredorter; outhouse”), from necesse (“unavoidable or necessary [thing]”) + -ārium (“-arium, -ium: forming locations”).
1
Architecture Synonym of reredorter: a monastery's latrine, outhouse, or lavatory, typically located behind the dormitory.
- The other outlet from the pisalis […] leads to the necessarium, in the corner of which a light […] is kept burning.1848, The Archaeological Journal, volume V, page 101:
- A passage at the other end [of the dormitory] leads to the “necessarium” (I), a portion of the monastic buildings always planned with extreme care.1878, "Abbey" in Encyclopædia Britannica, 9th ed., Vol. I, p. 13
2
Capitalized, Humorous, Sometimes, With the definite article A lavatory.
- Viewers […] don't mind having a hundred variations, from ‘The Necessarium’ to ‘The Thunder-Box’ to choose from.1967 December 21, The Listener, page 802: