Skip to content A bathroom may contain a bathtub or shower, sink, toilet, or some combination of these fixtures.
In public places, Americans also commonly use restroom, a deliberately indirect term emphasizing privacy and comfort rather than the function of the toilet itself.
In British English, toilet is much more commonly used to refer directly to the room or facility.
Other languages have their own expressions.
The terminology varies considerably from country to country.
Yet WC can function as a kind of linguistic shortcut.
It avoids choosing one particular language’s preferred word.
Why “Restroom” Doesn’t Mean Resting
There is another fascinating example of how language can become detached from literal meaning.
In American English, “restroom” is widely understood to mean a public toilet facility.
But very few people actually go there to rest.
The word developed as a euphemistic expression.