necessarium en · NOUN
Pronunciation
- /ˌnɛsɪˈsɑːɹɪəm/ (Received-Pronunciation)
- (US) audio
- /ˌnɛsɪˈsɛəɹɪəm/ (Received-Pronunciation)
- /ˌnɛsɪˈsɛɹi.əm/ (General-American)
Etymology
From Latin necessarium (“reredorter; outhouse”), from necesse (“unavoidable or necessary [thing]”) + -ārium (“-arium, -ium: forming locations”).
Meanings
-
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
-
(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:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| necessaria | Number=Plur | lexicographic | |
| Necessarium | alternative | lexicographic | |
| necessariums | Number=Plur | lexicographic |