Toilet Paper: Meaning, Uses & Examples

Meaning 1：bathroom tissue (Toilet Paper)

Toilet Paper 🔊

/ˈtɔɪlɪt ˌpeɪpə/

A soft roll of paper that is used in the bathroom.

White toilet paper roll on holder in clean bathroom

bathroom tissue 🔊

➕

/ˈbɑːθruːm ˈtɪʃuː/

A soft, absorbent paper product rolled into a tube, used for personal hygiene after using the toilet.

📁 Category：Objects & Materials 🔖 Level：Beginner

📘 Details & Usage

📖 Root Explanation

'Toilet' from French 'toilette' (cloth) + 'paper' from Latin 'papyrus' (papyrus plant).

💡 Mnemonic

Think: 'Toilet' + 'Paper' = essential pair. Imagine a roll that saves you when you are caught off guard.

📖 Example

I need to go to the supermarket to buy toilet paper; we’re almost out of it at home. 🔊 I need to go to the supermarket to buy toilet paper; we’re almost out of it at home.

🔗 Collocations

roll of toilet paper – A cylindrical bundle of toilet paper sheets

toilet paper holder – A device mounted on a wall to hold a roll of toilet paper

toilet paper dispenser – A container that releases sheets of toilet paper one at a time

🔄 Synonyms

bathroom tissue (n.) – A polite or commercial term for toilet paper

toilet roll (n.) – A roll of toilet paper, commonly used in British English

loo roll (n.) – Informal British term for a roll of toilet paper

🚫 Antonyms

paper towel (n.) – Absorbent paper for drying hands, not used for toilet hygiene

📖 Cultural Story

Toilet paper originated in medieval China as a luxury item for emperors; modern mass production began in the 19th century with Joseph Gayetty's 'Medicated Paper'.