Meaning & use
chamber pot
Last updated
Meaning
nouncountableold-fashioned
A large bowl or pot kept in a bedroom and used as a toilet, especially at night in the past.
Grammar: Countable: a chamber pot, the chamber pot. Plural: chamber pots.
Patterns
- a chamber pot
- use a chamber pot
- empty the chamber pot
In the 19th century, many families kept a chamber pot under the bed.
The museum displays a porcelain chamber pot from the 1800s.
Before indoor plumbing, people used a chamber pot at night.
Word forms
| plural | chamber pots |
|---|
Common combinations
- porcelain chamber pot
- The antique shop sold a decorated porcelain chamber pot.
- empty the chamber pot
- In the morning, the servant emptied the chamber pot.
- under the bed
- The chamber pot was kept under the bed for nighttime use.
Synonyms and how they differ
- potty
- A child's toilet, not the same as a historical chamber pot; 'potty' is used for young children today.
- bedpan
- A shallow container used by people who cannot leave their bed, especially in hospitals; it is a medical item, not a historical household object.
Word family
Commonly confused: chamber pot or chambermaid?
chamber pot vs chambermaid
A female servant who cleans bedrooms; not the same as a chamber pot, which is a container.
Practice
What is a 'chamber pot'?
Choose one answer.
A chamber pot was used as a toilet, usually kept in a bedroom. Option 1 confuses it with a cooking pot. Option 3 is a flowerpot or vase. Option 4 is a teapot. Only option 2 matches the historical meaning.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “chamber pot”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.