reredorter: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
Extremely Low (Specialist/Historical)Technical (Historical Architecture), Formal (Historical Writing)
Quick answer
What does “reredorter” mean?
A latrine or privy located behind a building, especially the dormitory of a monastery, accessible from the rear.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A latrine or privy located behind a building, especially the dormitory of a monastery, accessible from the rear.
A medieval term specifically for the toilet facilities in a monastic complex, typically a separate block built at the back (rear) of the monks' dormitory (dorter), often over a water channel for drainage.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Equally unknown in general usage in both regions. Its use is confined to academic/historical texts describing British or European monastic sites. It is slightly more likely to be encountered in UK heritage or archaeological contexts.
Connotations
Historical, technical, architectural, monastic.
Frequency
Effectively zero in everyday language. Appears only in specialist literature or detailed guides to historical buildings.
Grammar
How to Use “reredorter” in a Sentence
the reredorter of [Monastery Name]a [adjective, e.g., 12th-century] reredorterVocabulary
Collocations
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Not applicable.
Academic
Used in historical, archaeological, and architectural papers discussing monastic layouts.
Everyday
Never used.
Technical
Precise term for a specific structure in medieval monastic architecture.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “reredorter”
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “reredorter”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “reredorter”
- Misspelling as 'reredorter', 'rearedorter'.
- Pronouncing 'rere' as /riːr/ (like 'rear') instead of /rɪə/ or /rɪr/.
- Using it in any modern context.
- Confusing it with 'reredos' (a screen behind an altar).
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No. It is an exclusively historical term used by archaeologists, historians, and architectural specialists when describing medieval monastic sites.
Both are medieval toilets. A 'reredorter' is specifically the latrine block for a monastic community, while a 'garderobe' typically refers to a toilet in a medieval castle or fortification, often within the thickness of a wall.
In British English, it is roughly 'rear-DOR-ter' (/ˌrɪə ˈdɔː.tə/). In American English, it is similar but with a rhotic 'r': 'reer-DOR-ter' (/ˌrɪr ˈdɔːr.tɚ/). The first syllable rhymes with 'mirror' (UK) or 'near' (US).
Dictionaries record the lexicon of a language, including historical and specialist terms. 'Reredorter' is recorded because it appears in historical documents, academic works, and guides to heritage sites, defining a specific concept for which there is no common modern equivalent.
A latrine or privy located behind a building, especially the dormitory of a monastery, accessible from the rear.
Reredorter is usually technical (historical architecture), formal (historical writing) in register.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think: REaR + DORmitory + latrine. The toilet was at the REaR of the DORTer.
Conceptual Metaphor
N/A (Concrete, specific historical object).
Practice
Quiz
What is a 'reredorter'?