back-house
[back a. 1, back- 5.]
† 1. A subsidiary house or building which lies behind the main house. Obs. exc. dial.
| 1557 Edin. B. Rec. III. 17 To abstene..fra all melting..of talloun within thair bak hous. a 1603 T. Cartwright Confut. Rhem. N.T. (1618) 724 The intercession by Angels lyeth (as they say) in the backhouse ditch. 1710 Lond. Gaz. No. 4637/4 A well built Brick House, with a Back-house and other Buildings behind. 1888 B. L. Burnett From Stable Boy xxvii. 148, I was layving..without going to the zider cask in the back-houze. |
2. U.S. A privy. Also attrib.
| 1847 in Webster. 1939 C. Morley Kitty Foyle ii. 23 The chlorides Mother was always throwing into the little outdoor backhouse. Ibid. xvii. 161 None of that backhouse talk when Molly Scarf gets here. |