Netty

Part of speech: noun, adjective

Definitions

1. A small outdoor lavatory or privy, especially one built over a pit ; made of, resembling, or characterized by a mesh-like structure with open spaces
2. A basic toilet facility, often freestanding outside a main dwelling ; having a texture or appearance similar to netting with visible interstices
3. A simple outhouse or toilet structure ; formed from or having the qualities of net material with interconnected openings

Etymology: "Netty" is a word with several unrelated histories, and the most colourful one is the least certain. In British English it is a slang term for a lavatory, and its origin is unclear. Proposed explanations include a corruption of "necessary," a euphemism for an outhouse, a borrowing from French "nettoyer" ("to cleanse"), and a derivation from Italian "gabinetto" ("toilet"). None of these can be confirmed, so the word's exact route into English remains a matter of guesswork. The other senses are more straightforward. One comes from "net," meaning "elegant, neat," with the suffix "-y" added to form an adjective of slightly lesser degree. A second comes from "net" in the sense of an openwork fabric mesh, with "-y" forming an adjective. A third is a clipped form of "netball," the team sport, with "-y" attached in the familiar way of nicknames such as "footy" and "brekky."

Synonyms: toilet, outhouse, privy