Privy

Definition: Privy

Privy

Adjective

1. Hidden from general view or use; "a privy place to rest and think"; "a secluded romantic spot"; "a secret garden".

2. (followed by `to') informed about something secret or not generally known; "privy to the details of the conspiracy".

Noun

1. A room equipped with toilet facilities.

2. A small outbuilding with a bench having holes through which a user can defecate.

Source: WordNet 1.7.1 Copyright © 2001 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
 

Date "privy" was first used in popular English literature: sometime before 1200. (references)

Environment

Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

Synonyms: Privy

Concealment

Adjective: concealed; Verb: hidden; secret, recondite, mystic, cabalistic, occult, dark; cryptic, cryptical; private, privy, in petto, auricular, clandestine, close, inviolate; tortuous.

Council

Cabinet council, privy council;cabinet council, privy council; cockpit, convocation, synod, congress, convention, diet, states-general.

Knowledge

Aware of, cognizant of, conscious of; acquainted with, made acquainted with; privy to, no stranger to; au -fait, au courant; in the secret; up to, alive to; behind the scenes, behind the curtain; let into; apprized of, informed of; undeceived.

Tribunal

Assize, eyre; wardmote, burghmote; barmote; superior courts of Westminster; court of record, court oyer and terminer, court assize, court of appeal, court of error; High court of Judicature, High court of Appeal; Judicial Committee of the Privy Council; Star Chamber; Court of Chancery, Court of King's or Queen's Bench, Court of Exchequer, Court of Common Pleas, Court of Probate, Court of Arches, Court of Admiralty; Lords Justices' court, Rolls court, Vice Chancellor's court, Stannary court, Divorce court, Family court, Palatine court, county court, district court, police court; sessions; quarter sessions, petty sessions; court-leet, court-baron, court of pie poudre, court of common council; board of green cloth.

Uncleanness

Dunghill, colluvies, mixen, midden, bog, laystall, sink, privy, jakes; toilet, john, head; cess, cesspool; sump, sough, cloaca, latrines, drain, sewer, common sewer; Cloacina; dust hole.

Crosswords: Privy

Goes like a privy door when the plague comes down (Blackadder II; writing credit: Richard Curtis; Ben Elton)

Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

Books

• Anglicizing the Government of Ireland: The Irish Privy Council and the Expansion of Tudor Rule, 1556-1578 (Irish Legal History Society) (reference)

• Journals of the Privy Council, 1783-1789 (reference)

• The Elizabethan Privy Council in the fifteen-seventies (reference)

• The privy councillors in the House of Commons, 1604-1629 (reference)

• The Story of the Privy Garden at Hampton Court (reference)

  (more book examples)

Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

Gr[and] Forks Fair Privy - '36. Credit: National Library of Medicine.

"Dry-Catch" Privy. Credit: National Library of Medicine.

Typical privy in slum section of Washington, D.C. Credit: Library of Congress.

Privy near Capitol, Washington, D.C. This outbuilding leaks and drains on land about it. Negro inhabitants appear oblivious to it all. No door to this privy, but a sheet of canvas which is seldom used. Credit: Library of Congress.

Shannon County, Missouri. Privy at tourist camp. Credit: Library of Congress.

John Fredrick's privy. Saint Mary's County, Maryland. Credit: Library of Congress.

A safe privy is a sanitary privy. Near La Plata, Maryland. Credit: Library of Congress.

Privy on Lon Allen's farm near Iron River, Michigan. Credit: Library of Congress.

Duplex privy (open air model) near Arnegard. McKenzie County, North Dakota. Credit: Library of Congress.

President Calvin Coolidge. Privy. Credit: Library of Congress.

Source: pictures compiled by the editor from various references; see picture credits.

Economic History

Brunei Darussalam

Final appeal can be made to the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council in London in civil but not criminal cases. (references)

Bahamas

Tentative consideration is being given to the creation of a Caribbean Final Court of Appeals to replace the Privy Council. (references)

Hong Kong

On July 1, 1997, the Court of Final Appeal replaced Britain's Privy Council as Hong Kong's highest court when Hong Kong reverted to Chinese sovereignty. (references)

Human Rights

Gambia

In 1997 the Court of Appeal, the country's highest court at the time, overturned the treason convictions and death sentences of four men accused of leading an abortive coup in 1996. The Government first appealed this decision to the Privy Council in London, but then appealed it to the Supreme Court once that institution was established. (references)

Trinidad and Tobago

However, the Privy Council subsequently ruled that by ratifying a treaty that provides for individual access to an international body, the Government made that process part of the domestic criminal justice system, thereby extending the scope of the due process clause of the Constitution, and that executing a prisoner with such an appeal pending would constitute a violation of due process. (references)

Tonga

The King's Privy Council presides over cases relating to disputes over titles of nobility and estate boundaries. (references)

Political Economy

Hong Kong

The Court of Final Appeal (CFA) came into existence on July 1, 1997 to replace the British Privy Council as the final adjudicator of cases brought in Hong Kong courts. (references)

FINLAND

This standard does not apply to company specialists, who must prove that they possess knowledge at an advanced level of expertise or are otherwise privy to proprietary company business information. (references)

Mauritius

Although a republic, Mauritius maintains the British Privy Council as its court of final appeal. (references)

Political Rights

Tonga

The King appoints the Prime Minister and appoints and presides over the Privy Council (called the Cabinet when the King is not presiding), which makes major policy decisions. (references)

Worker Rights

Mexico

Protection contracts, to which the workforce is not privy, are used in the maquila sector and elsewhere to discourage the development of authentic unions. (references)

Source: compiled by the editor from ICON Group International, Inc.; see credits.

Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

Source: compiled by the editor from various references.

Expressions using "privy": Aqua privy ♦ be privy to ♦ clerk of the privy seal ♦ keeper of the privy purse ♦ Keeper of the privy seal ♦ Lord Privy Seal ♦ privy chamber ♦ privy council ♦ privy councilor ♦ privy counsellor ♦ privy counselor ♦ privy counsil ♦ privy parts ♦ privy purse ♦ privy seal ♦ privy signet ♦ privy to ♦ privy verdict ♦ the privy seal. Additional references.

Beginning with "privy": privy-council, privy-purses.

Albanian

konfidencial (esoteric, private), i vetmuar (bleak, cloistered, desolate, eremitic, lone, lonely, lonesome, out of the way, private, recluse, remote, retired, secluded, solitary), i fshehur (backstage, concealed, hidden, latent, on the lam, reserved, secret), i fshehtë (backdoor, clandestine, close, colorable, colourable, confidential, cryptic, dark, deep, deep-seated, elfish, elvish, esoteric, furtive, hidden, hole-and-corner, insidious, internal, latent, occult, Perdue, private, quiet, secret, secretive, sly, stealthy, subterranean, under the counter, under the table, under wraps, undercover, underhand, underhanded, unearthly, veiled), banjë (ablution, bath, bathe, bathroom, closet, conveniences, powder room, rest room, retiring room, toilet, washroom, water closet). (various references)

Arabic 

‏كنيف, ‏مطلع على سر ما, ‏مرحاض (bathroom, cabinet, cloakroom, closet, latrine, lavatory, loo, necessary, restroom, toilet, washroom, water closet), ‏سري (clandestine, classified, close, closet, confidential, covert, cryptic, discreet, furtive, hugger mugger, hush hush, inmost, low key, mysterious, mystic, occult, off the record, private, sacramental, secret, slinking, stealthy, subterranean, surreptitious, umbilical, undercover, underground, underhand), ‏ختم صغير, ‏خاص (ad hoc, individual, particular, peculiar, personal, private, proper, relative, special, specific). (various references)

Bulgarian 

скрит (cagey, cagy, clandestine, close, covert, delitescent, dormant, furtive, hidden, implicit, implied, insidious, latent, occult, potential, private, recondite, secret, sneaking, snug, ulterior, underlying), частен (particular, peculiar, private, proprietary), таен (arcane, backdoor, clandestine, confidential, cryptic, dark, darkling, esoteric, hole-and-corner, hugger mugger, hush hush, inside, mystic, occult, private, recondite, secret, sensitive, sneaking, snug, surreptitious, undercover, underground, underhand), клозет (head, loo, water closet), осведомен (advised, aware, cognizant, conversant, informed, intelligent, wise), нужник (rear, stool), заинтересовано лице, личен (finite, individual, intimate, particular, peculiar, personal, private, subjective), посветен (dedicated, devoted, initiated, inner, inscribed, inside, sacred), поверителен (classified, confidential, esoteric, hush hush, occult, private, privileged, restricted, secret), интимен (downstage, familiar, fireside, informal, inner, inofficial, intimate, keyhole, near, pally, personal, private, tete a tete, thick). (various references)

Chinese 

溷 (disordered). (various references)

Czech

zasvìcený (devoted, well informed), tajný (clandestine, classified, confidential, furtive, hole-and-corner, inward, occult, restricted, retired, secret, sneaking, stealthy, surreptitious, undercover, underhand, underhanded, unspoken), úèastník (contender, contestant, entrant, participant, participator, partner, party). (various references)

Danish

WC (head, lavatory, toilet, water closet), toilet (toilet), muldrum (wet ashpit). (various references)

Dutch

toilet (restroom, toilet), rottingsruimte (wet ashpit). (various references)

Farsi 

محرم اسرار (Confidant, Secretary), مستراح (John, Latrine, Lavatory, Restroom, Toilet), صمیمی (Chum, Chummy, Cordial, Hailfellow, Heartfelt, Intimate, Near, Real, Sincere, Unaffected, Warm), اختصاصی (Private, Proprietary, Separate), دزدکی (Slinky, Snoopy, Stealthy). (various references)

Finnish

ulkohuone (outbuilding), multauttamiskäymälä (wet ashpit). (various references)

French

cabinets. (various references)

German

eingeweiht (inaugurated, open, privily), abort (abort, abortion, lavatory, miscarriage, toilet). (various references)

Greek 

κρυφόσ (covert, furtive, occult, sneaking, surreptitious, undercover), ιδιαίτεροσ (chaplain, especial, particular, private, special, specific), μυστικόσ (clandestine, esoteric, hidden, hugger mugger, mystical, private, privy to, secret, suppressible, surreptitious, undercover, underground, undisclosed), μυημένος (initiated), μεμυημένοσ, υπαίθριο, αποχωρητήριο (cloaca, lavatory, outhouse, restroom, toilet, toilette, washroom, water closet), αποχωρητήσ, θάλαμος βιοαποικοδόμησης (wet ashpit). (various references)

Hebrew 

בית שמוש (lavatory, toilet, water closet), בית כסא (latrine, lavatory, toilet, w.c.), סו�"י (clandestine, classified, confidential, hush hush, secret, under cover, under wraps). (various references)

Hungarian

jogutód (assign, cessionary, successor), érdektárs, bűnsegéd (abetter, abettor, accessory before the fact), bűntárs (accessory, art and part, confederate), cinkos (accomplice, pander), illemhely (convenience, latrine, little house, toilet, washroom), érdekelt fél (an interested party, concerned party), illetékes személy (assign), titkos (clandestine, classified, confidential, covert, cryptic, esoteric, furtive, hidden, hole-and-corner, hugger mugger, hugger-mugger, hush hush, inner, lurky, mystic, occult, secret, sneaking, stealthy, surreptitious, top secret, undercover), klozett (lavatory, rear), magán (private, unprofessional), magántermészetű (private), rejtett (arcane, clandestine, concealed, covert, dormant, hidden, hooded, hugger-mugger, inner, latent, latent image, occult, perdu, potential, recondite, stealthy, surreptitious), szerződő fél, titkolt (concealed, covert, undercover), illetékes (assign, competent). (various references)

Indonesian

tersembunyi (hidden, latent, reclusive, underground), rahasia (confidential, covert, secret, undercover). (various references)

Italian

privato (personal, private, private person, proprietary, quiet), latrina (latrine, lavatory), gabinetto (cabinet, closet, lab, laboratory, lavatory, loo, office, restroom, study, toilet, washroom, water closet, wc), camera di decomposizione (wet ashpit). (various references)

Japanese Kanji 

� (toilet). (various references)

Japanese Katakana 

かわや (toilet). (various references)

Manx

premmee (earth closet, lavatory, loo, public convenience, toilet, WC). (various references)

Pig Latin

ivypray.(various references)

Portuguese

parte interessada (claimant, interested party, party concerned, person entitled), privado (intimate, particular, private), privada (latrine, retiring-room, toilet, toilet bowl), pessoal (acquainted, individual, own, personal, personnel, private, staff, untransferable), particular (cabinet, closet, confidential, especial, individual, inmost, intimate, particular, peculiar, personal, private, separate, special, specific, tete-a-tete), cúmplice (abetter, abettor, accessary, accomplice, complice, confederate, partaker, partner), co-responsável, escondido (close, furtive, hidden, hideaway, hush-hush, lam, offscreen, secret, stealthy, ulterior), instalação sanitária (rest-room, retiring-room), latrina (cesspool, cloaca, latrine, well room), assunto ou ação, oculto (cryptic, deep, disingenuous, inner, latent, mystical, occult, offscreen, perdu, recondite, secret, sneaking, ulterior, underlying, unseen), secreto (arcane, backdoor, blind, classified, close, confidential, cryptic, deep, hole-and-corner, inmost, inner, occult, offscreen, private, sealed, secret, secretive, sneaking, stealthy, surreptitious, undercover, underhanded, under-the-table), reactor de descomposição (wet ashpit), retrete (lavatory, toilet), lavabo (bathroom, restroom, rest-room, retiring-room, toilet). (various references)

Romanian

privat (personal, private), particular (peculiar, personal, private, proprietary, separate, specific), toaletã (can, closet, dress, dressing, John, lavatory, outhouse, plumbing, powder room, rest room, retiring room, toilet, w.c., washing, washstand), tainic (close, cover, covert, dark, hidden, inmost, inner, innermost, inside, intimate, isolated, mysterious, mysteriously, mystic, obscure, private, quiet, secret, stealthy), secret (arcanum, close, confidential, cover, covertly, hidden, hugger mugger, internal, mysterious, mystery, occult, private, quiet, reticence, secrecy, secret, secretly, ulterior, underground, undisclosed, unspoken, untold), latrinã (head, latrine, outhouse), closet (closet, lavatory, toilet, w.c.), clandestin (clandestine, clandestinely, furtive, furtively, hugger mugger, illicit, secret, secretly, surreptitious, surreptitiously, underhand), ascuns (abstruse, backstairs, blind, cagey, close, concealed, covert, cryptic, dark, furtive, hidden, masked, mystic, occult, postern, q.t., quiet, recondite, secluded, secret, secretive, self contained, sneaking, stealthy, sunken, ulterior, uncommunicative, underground, underhand, undiscovered). (various references)

Russian 

уединенный (cloistral, coy, lone, lonely, private, recluse, retired, secluded, seclusive, solitary), уборная (chic sale, closet, convenience, dressing room, lavatory, make-up room, necessary, retiring room, retiring-room, washroom, water closet, water-closet, WC =water-closet), частный (particularistic, peculiar, private), тайный (arcane, backdoor, clandestine, cryptic, dark, esoteric, furtive, hole-and-corner, hugger mugger, offscreen, private, quiet, secret, sly, sneaking, stealthy, surreptitious, under the table, undercover, underground, underhand, underhanded), отхожее место/ .посвященный, посвященный (devoted, sacred, sanctified). (various references)

Serbo-Croatian

privatan (private, tete a tete), učesnik (associate, entrant, partaker, participant, participator, partner), tajni (backstage, furtive, private, secret, sneaky, stealthy, undercover), nužnik (bathroom, closet, latrine, toilet), državni (imperial, national, public, state). (various references)

Spanish

privado (abridged, bereft, favorite, favourite, independent, inquiry, intimate, minion, personal, private, proprietary, quiet), secreto (arcane, back door, backstairs, classified, covert, crypt, cryptic, dark, hidden, hugger mugger, inside, privacy, private, secrecy, secret, sub rosa, under wraps, underground, unseen), retrete (closet, restroom, retiring room, toilet, toilette, water closet), cómplice (abettor, accessory, accomplice, associate, confederate, party, Shill), cámara de descomposición (wet ashpit). (various references)

Swedish

hemlighus, hemlig (arcane, blind, clandestine, close, concealed, confidential, covert, furtive, hole-and-corner, occult, offscreen, quiet, secret, secretly, sneaking, surreptitious, under cover, underground, underhand, underhanded), avträde (compensation, latrine, toilet). (various references)

Turkish

tuvalet (bathroom, cloakroom, closet, convenience, dress clothes, formal, John, latrine, lav, lavatory, loo, rear, rest room, restroom, retiring room, toilet, washroom, wash-room, water closet), saklı (behind, clandestine, close, covered, covert, crypto-, hidden, perdu, Perdue, secret, snug), ortak (agreed, associate, collaborator, collective, common, conjunct, consociate, cooperator, copartner, dormant partner, fellow, identic, joint, mate, mutual, pard, partner, party, shareholder, sidekick, sympathetic), mahrem (camera, close, closet, confidental, hush hush, private, secluded, secret), korunmuş (protected, screened), kapalı (backhanded, cloistered, close, closed, cloudy, cloudyly, covered, enclosed, Gray, grey, impenetrable, indoor, muggy, murky, off, overcast, sable, sealed, secluded, shut, skyless, sullen, unopened), gizli (arcane, back door, blind, camera, clandestine, classified, closet, concealed, confidential, covert, cryptic, cryptical, crypto-, disguised, esoteric, furtive, hidden, hole-and-corner, hugger mugger, huggermugger, hush hush, inner, intimate, latent, masked, occult, perdu, Perdue, private, quiet, restricted, sealed, secluded, secret, secretly, slinky, sneaking, sneakingly, sneaky, snug, stealthy, sub rosa, submerged, submersed, subterranean, subterraneous, surreptitious, ulterior, under cover, underarm, undercover, underground, underhand, underhanded, undisclosed, unsearchable, unseen), özel (ad hoc, closet, distinctive, esoteric, especial, exclusive, express, extraordinary, individual, intimate, particular, peculiar, personal, private, proper, proprietary, self, sole, special, specific, state, very). (various references)

Ukrainian

учасник (affiliate, partaker, participant, partner), убиральня (bog-house, cloaca, cloak-room, closet, lavatory, rest room, retiring room, toilet, washroom), секретний (back room, classified, confidential, hole-and-corner, hush hush, private, secret, sensitive, subterraneous, underhand, underneath), самітний (alone, cloistered, close, desolate, friendless, lone, private, single, singular, solitary, widowed), власний (own, peculiar, proper, self), прихований (arcane, blind, bosomed, close, closet, concealed, covert, cryptic, delitescent, furtive, glossy, hideaway, latent, obscure, obumbrate, occulted, secret, stealthy, ulterior, underneath, veiled), причетний (concerned), приватний (back yard, offstage, private, proprietary, special). (various references)

Vietnamese 

tư; kín, riêng (characteristic, corporal, distinct, individual, peculiar, private, sui generis), người hữu quan. (various references)

Welsh

cyfrin-gyngor (privy council). (various references)

conscia, conscium, conscius, latrinas. (various references)

Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits.

Misspellings

"Privy" is suggested in spellcheckers for the following: Krivoy, Paivio, piby, pievy, pivey, pivy, Praby, prady, prev, preva, previ, previe, prevn, prevy, pridy, prigy, prity, priv, privcy, prive, privey, privi, privie, privied, privier, priviet, privo, privu, privvy, privye, prixy, prizy, prv, pryvie, rivy. (additional references)

Source: compiled by the editor (additional references); see credits.

Scrabble® Enable2K-Verified Anagrams

-2 letters: ivy, pry, rip, yip.

-3 letters: pi.

+2 letters: privacy, privily, privity.

+3 letters: vespiary.

+4 letters: depravity, privately, provisory, purveying.

+5 letters: eruptively, overhyping, overpaying, overplying, oversimply, perversity, previously, primevally, proclivity, replevying, sportively, viperously, viviparity.