pissoir

noun

pis·​soir pi-ˈswär How to pronounce pissoir (audio)
: a public urinal usually located on the street in some European countries

Examples of pissoir in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Every prime minister comes into office promising to reform the Lords only to end up treating it as a patronage pissoir. The Economist, 8 Aug. 2020

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'pissoir.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

French, from Middle French, from pisser to urinate, from Old French pisser, pissier

First Known Use

1919, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of pissoir was in 1919

Dictionary Entries Near pissoir

Cite this Entry

“Pissoir.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pissoir. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

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