Garderobe

Quick meaning: Garderobe is a noun meaning (historical) A storeroom or wardrobe.

Meaning

(historical) A storeroom or wardrobe.

More Meanings

1. (historical) A lavatory, especially in a castle and built into the outer wall, with vent directly over the moat or midden.

Example Sentences

He splashed some tepid water on his face from the basin beside his bed and took his time squatting in the garderobe, the night air cold on his bare skin.

Even with the seat, most garderobes in castles did not encourage long stays.[…]Despite the unappealing and unsanitary nature of garderobe shafts, besieging forces on more than one occasion successfully entered castles by having men climb up the shafts.

In the early medieval period (1066-1300), the solution in huge stone castles was garderobes: small rooms that jutted out over the walls with a hole covered by a seat. Castle builders tried to site garderobes over a stream or a moat, but this was not always possible.

Word Forms

• garderobes
• garde-robe

Related Words

Related dictionary entries include garde-robe, wardrobe, closet, storeroom, clothes press, vestiary.

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