Definitions for garderobeˈgɑrdˌroʊb
This page provides all possible meanings and translations of the word garderobe
A store room or wardrobe.
A lavatory, especially in a castle and built into the outer wall, with vent directly over the moat or midden.
Origin: From garderobe, from garder + robe.
The term garderobe describes a place where clothes and other items are stored, and also a medieval toilet. In European public places, a garderobe denotes the cloakroom, wardrobe, alcove or an armoire. In Danish, Dutch, Norwegian, German and Spanish garderobe can mean a cloakroom. In Latvian it means checkroom. According to medieval architecture scholar Frank Bottomley, garderobes were: The term is also used for a medieval or Renaissance toilet and for a close stool. A description of the garderobe at Donegal Castle indicates that during the time the castle garderobe was in use it was believed that ammonia would protect visitors' coats and cloaks, particularly from fleas. In a medieval castle or other building, a garderobe was usually a simple hole discharging to the outside into a cesspit or the moat, depending on the structure of the building. Such toilets were often placed inside a small chamber, leading by association to the use of the term garderobe to describe the rooms. Many can still be seen in Norman and medieval castles and fortifications, for example at Bürresheim Castle in Germany, where three garderobes are still visible today. They became obsolete with the introduction of indoor plumbing.
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