thunderbox

== English == === Pronunciation === (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /ˈθʌndəbɒks/ (General American) IPA(key): /ˈθʌndɚˌbɑks/ Hyphenation: thund‧er‧box === Etymology 1 === From thunder +‎ box. Senses 1 and 2 (“portable commode; any lavatory or toilet”) are probably because of the noises that may be made while defecating. ==== Noun ==== thunderbox (plural thunderboxes) (slang) A chamber pot enclosed in a box; a portable commode. Synonyms: (historical) close-stool; see also Thesaurus:chamber pot (by extension, chiefly Australia, British, slang) Any lavatory or toilet, especially a rudimentary outdoor latrine or toilet, or an outhouse. (outhouse): Synonyms: see Thesaurus:bathroom, Thesaurus:toilet (theater) A box of metal balls which is shaken to create a thunder sound effect. Synonym: thunder run ===== Alternative forms ===== thunder-box, thunder box ===== Coordinate terms ===== thunder pot (Britain, informal) ===== Translations ===== === Etymology 2 === Probably a calque of German Donnerbüchse (“(archaic) blunderbuss; cannon”) (from Donner (“thunder”) + Büchse (“box; can; rifle”)), or its etymon Dutch donderbus (“blunderbuss”) (from donder (“thunder”) + bus (“box; container; (chiefly historical) type of early modern firearm”)). ==== Noun ==== thunderbox (plural thunderboxes) (military, obsolete) A blunderbuss; also, a cannon. ===== Alternative forms ===== thunder-box === References === === Further reading === portable toilet on Wikipedia.Wikipedia “thunder-box, n.” under “thunder, n.”, in OED Online ⁠, Oxford: Oxford University Press, June 2022. “thunderbox, n.”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–2022.