A piece of furniture that looks like a stool or chair but has a hinged seat hiding a chamber pot underneath, used as an early indoor toilet.
Compound of 'close' (private, enclosed) and 'stool' (seat). Originated in 16th-century England as an alternative to outhouses, becoming common among wealthy households in the 17th-18th centuries.
Closestools were the medieval equivalent of modern bathrooms—they represent humanity's gradual shift from accepting outdoor toilets to demanding privacy, comfort, and hygiene indoors, a revolution that transformed civilization.
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