English

Noun

Necessarium ‎(plural Necessariums or Necessaria)

1. Alternative form of necessarium.

English

Alternative forms

• Necessarium

Noun

necessarium ‎(plural necessariums or necessaria)

1. (architecture) Synonym of reredorter: a monastery's latrine, outhouse, or lavatory, typically located behind the dormitory.
   • 1848, The Archaeological Journal, Vol. V, page 101:

     The other outlet from the pisalis... leads to the necessarium, in the corner of which a light... is kept burning.

   • 1878, "Abbey" in Encyclopædia Britannica, 9th ed., Vol. I, p. 13:

     A passage at the other end [of the dormitory from the passage to the south transept of St Gall's church leads to the “necessarium” (I), a portion of the monastic buildings always planned with extreme care.

2. (humorous, sometimes capitalized or with the definite article) A lavatory.
   • 1967 December 21, The Listener, page 802:

     Viewers... don't mind having a hundred variations, from ‘The Necessarium’ to ‘The Thunder-Box’ to choose from.

Synonyms

• See Wikisaurus:bathroom

Derived terms

• necessary, the necessary

References

1. ↑ Oxford English Dictionary, 3rd ed. "necessarium, n." Oxford University Press (Oxford), 2013.

Latin

Noun

necessarium

1. Synonym of reredorter: a monastery's latrine, outhouse, or lavatory.
2. Any outhouse.

Adjective

necessārium

1. nominative neuter singular of necessārius