Urinals

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A sanitary fixture for urination, typically found in public restrooms designed for men
2. A plumbing installation that channels urine into a drainage system, providing a hygienic option for users
3. A unique type of toilet designed for standing use, often with variations in design and functionality depending on location and purpose

Etymology: "Urinals" is the plural of "urinal," and the word's older sense was a container rather than a fixture. Middle English borrowed "urinal" from Old French "urinal" or "orinal," meaning a vessel for urination, and that French word came from Late Latin "ūrīnālis," an adjective meaning "urinary," built from "urine" plus the suffix "-al." For centuries, then, a urinal was a portable flask, the sort a physician might inspect to judge a patient's health, and the word described the vessel rather than the room. The sense of a wall-mounted or floor-standing fixture channeling urine into a drainage system came later. The plumbing meaning is attested from 1851, when the word moved from the bedside vessel to the fixed installation that now dominates its use.

Synonyms: toilets, bathrooms