Commode

For the play La Mort de l'empereur Commode, see Thomas Corneille.
French commode, by Gilles Joubert, circa 1735, made of oak and walnut, veneered with tulipwood, ebony, holly, other woods, gilt bronze and imitation marble, in the Museum of Fine Arts (Boston, United States)
A British commode, circa 1772, marquetry of various woods, bronze and gilt-bronze mounts, overall: 95.9 × 145.1 × 51.9 cm, in the Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York City)

A commode is any of many pieces of furniture. The Oxford English Dictionary has multiple meanings of "commode". The first relevant definition reads: "A piece of furniture with drawers and shelves; in the bedroom, a sort of elaborate chest of drawers (so in French); in the drawing room, a large (and generally old-fashioned) kind of chiffonier." The drawing room is itself a term for a formal reception room, and a chiffonier is, in this sense, a small sideboard dating from the early 19th century.

Another meaning attested is a washstand, a piece of furniture equipped with basin, jug, and towel rail, and often with space to store the chamber pot behind closed doors. A washstand in the bedroom pre-dates indoor bathrooms and running water.

In British English, "commode" is the standard term for a commode chair, often on wheels, enclosing a chamber pot—as used in hospitals and assisted living homes.[1] In the United States, a "commode" is now a colloquial synonym for a flush toilet.[2]

The word commode comes from the French word for "convenient" or "suitable", which in turn comes from the Latin adjective commodus, with similar meanings.

  1. ^ "Cambridge Dictionaries online, entry for Commode". Retrieved 20 January 2013.
  2. ^ Robinson, Melia (June 1, 2017). "I tried the 'Mercedes Benz of toilets' that comes with a remote control and costs $10,200". Business Insider. Retrieved 23 November 2017. ...But Japan's biggest toilet maker has brought these high-tech features and more to its premiere line of commodes.