commode

noun

com·​mode kə-ˈmōd 

1

a

: a low chest of drawers

b

: a boxlike structure holding a chamber pot under an open seat

also : chamber pot

c

: toilet sense 1a

d

: a movable washstand with a cupboard underneath

2

: a woman's ornate cap popular in the late 17th and early 18th centuries

Illustration of commode

• commode 2

Examples of commode in a Sentence

There are towels in the cabinet above the commode.

Recent Examples on the Web

Rotating the Orion capsule to expose the line to the Sun and using vent heaters to melt away the ice once again made the commode usable. —Victor Tangermann, Futurism, 8 Apr. 2026

This meant that only solid waste could be deposited into the commode. —Jacopo Prisco, CNN Money, 7 Apr. 2026

Christina Koch eventually saved the day, fixing a jammed part on the commode. —Evan Bush, NBC news, 6 Apr. 2026

The one commode in it was shielded from sight only by wooden shutters, which swung on double-action spring hinges, like saloon doors, and had to be latched shut with a hook on a swivel. —Caleb Crain, Harpers Magazine, 24 Mar. 2026

Word History

Etymology

French, from commode, adjective, suitable, convenient, from Latin commodus, from com- + modus measure — more at mete

First Known Use

circa 1688, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Rhymes for commode

• abode
• anode
• barcode
• bestowed
• boatload
• borrowed
• carload
• caseload
• cathode
• corrode
• crossroad
• decode

Kids Definition

commode

noun

com·​mode kə-ˈmōd 

1

a

: a low chest of drawers

b

: a movable washstand with a cupboard underneath

2

: toilet sense 2b