"outhouse" means: An outbuilding, typically permanent, containing a toilet or seat over a cesspit.. This is a fairly neutral word with no inherent risk attached. There is no real cause for parental concern; it is descriptive vocabulary rather than something dangerous. If your child uses it, context will usually make the meaning clear. A brief, curious question about where they heard it is generally enough to know whether to follow up.
outhouse
(North America) An outbuilding, typically permanent, containing a toilet or seat over a cesspit.
Seen in the wild
He should have learned from Jurassic Park - the outhouse is no safe space.
comes with a furnished outhouse
Typically disgusting Trump. Imagine what could be written under HIS picture, which belongs in an outhouse somewhere.
That tin can must smell like an outhouse . The armor doesn’t lend itself to rapid diaper changes.
I found these brownies on the floor of an outhouse. They might not be brownies. It was dark in there, okay?
Definitions
(North America) An outbuilding, typically permanent, containing a toilet or seat over a cesspit.
"outhouse" means: An outbuilding, typically permanent, containing a toilet or seat over a cesspit.. This is a fairly neutral word with no inherent risk attached. There is no real cause for parental concern; it is descriptive vocabulary rather than something dangerous. If your child uses it, context will usually make the meaning clear. A brief, curious question about where they heard it is generally enough to know whether to follow up.
"outhouse" means: An outbuilding, typically permanent, containing a toilet or seat over a cesspit.. Register: neutral, standard English, usable in most everyday contexts. A common non-native mistake is to use the word in the wrong register, or to assume one fixed meaning when it is actually polysemous; always check the surrounding register and the audience before producing it yourself. In formal writing, prefer a neutral synonym or a short descriptive phrase, and use this word only when you have heard or read it being used naturally in a comparable context.
Comments
(dated) Any outbuilding: any small structure located apart from a main building.
There was a considerable outhouse, which he unlocked and we entered.
“He should have learned from Jurassic Park - the outhouse is no safe space.”
— Bluesky· May 2026“comes with a furnished outhouse”
— Bluesky· May 2026“Typically disgusting Trump. Imagine what could be written under HIS picture, which belongs in an outhouse somewhere.”
— Bluesky· May 2026“That tin can must smell like an outhouse . The armor doesn’t lend itself to rapid diaper changes.”
— Bluesky· May 2026“I found these brownies on the floor of an outhouse. They might not be brownies. It was dark in there, okay?”
— Bluesky· May 2026
Comments
(transitive) To house in a separate building.
Comments
For specific readers
Why is this section here?
Slang is read by different audiences for very different reasons. The For parents view re-explains the term in plain, non-judgemental language so a caregiver can understand what their child means without needing the surrounding subculture. The For English learners view focuses on register (when it's safe to use), formal alternatives, and common mistakes — what a textbook won't teach you.
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Other words near "outhouse" (O)
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