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

Here there are two separate vanities with sinks, a hydro-soaking tub, separate shower stall, and a separate room for the commode. —James Alexander, Hartford Courant, 17 Aug. 2025

This budget-friendly Nova Medical Products folding commode is simple to assemble, store and clean between uses and features a weight capacity of up to 300 pounds. —Bestreviews, Mercury News, 15 Aug. 2025

Thompson suggests a half-wall between the sink and commode that can be removed to make way for a wheelchair. —Lew Sichelman, Miami Herald, 29 May 2025

SpaceX’s Crew Dragon capsule does have a commode designed for use in microgravity, but astronauts also sometimes wear special undergarments. —Jackie Wattles, CNN Money, 30 Mar. 2025

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