The den may be used for entertainment or as an office or a study those terms are also likely to be applied to a spare room where academic, professional, or leisure writing or research is done and/or where household management is conducted.Ĩ. Den: This term was borrowed from the synonym for lair, and the connotation of a secluded refuge is not coincidental the neologism “man cave” (or mancave) suggests a retreat where the lord of the manor may escape to avoid responsibilities or the expectation that he behave in a civilized manner. The similar solarium (the term is from the Latin word for a porch with sun exposure), also known as a sunroom or a sun parlor, is a glass-enclosed room that may double as a conservatory.ħ. Conservatory: Often a separate building (also known as a greenhouse) but sometimes attached to a house, the conservatory (the term stems ultimately from the Latin word conservare, “keep, observe”) is familiar to players of the board game Clue but rare in real life. Closet: This term, from the Anglo-French word closett, a diminutive of clos, “enclosure,” originally referred to a secluded room but now applies to a usually walk-in cabinet for storing clothes and/or other household items.Ħ. More recently, it has been relegated to a general storage space or converted into one or more bedrooms or an informal entertainment area.ĥ. Because such areas often remain cooler than the rest of the dwelling, the cellar was originally used to store food and/or wine.
Cellar: This area, often partially or completely belowground (see hall for etymology), is also called a basement. It has erotic connotations that, depending on context, the more utilitarian bedroom may or may not have.Ĥ. Boudoir: This French term (amusingly derived from the French word bouder, “to pout”) can apply to a bedroom, a dressing room, or a sitting room for the woman of the house. Privy, ultimately from Latin privatus, “private,” was originally synonymous with outhouse but may also refer to an interior room.ģ. Bathroom: Because of the personal nature of the bathroom’s function, this room has many (mostly euphemistic) synonyms, including latrine and lavatory (both words are derived from the Latin word lavare, to wash”), as well as restroom, washroom, and “water closet” most of these, however, are usually applied only to public facilities.īath or toilet (the latter term is derived from the French word toilette, “cloth”) are also common usage - though toilet more often refers specifically to the key fixture - as are slang terms like head (this term is from naval usage, when the “bathroom” was the bow of the ship), john (from the given name), or loo (suggested to be from the French word l’eau, “water”). A loft that opens to a lower room is also called a balcony (the term is from the Italian word balcone, “large window”) this term may also refer to an upstairs outside porch or deck.Ģ. Attic: Synonyms for this word (from the Latin Atticus, “of Attica”) for a room or area under the roof of a house include garret (the term is from the Middle English word garite, “watchtower, turret”) and loft (from the Old English word for “air” or “sky), as well as the obscure cockloft. Here’s an alphabetical tour of domestic vocabulary to help you avoid getting lost or walking through the wrong doorway, and to give you a choice in navigating your way:ġ. 15 Words for Household Rooms, and Their Synonyms By Mark Nichol
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