toiletry

toiletry — noun

1. a small bag or case designed to hold personal cleaning and grooming products, us

1.nounB1
Definition

a small bag or case designed to hold personal cleaning and grooming products, used mainly when travelling

Example

Dario packed his toothbrush and razor into his toiletry before the morning flight.

collocation: pack + toiletry

Saira bought a new waterproof toiletry for her trip to the tropical beach resort.

collocation: waterproof + toiletry

Common collocations
  • pack a toiletry
  • waterproof toiletry
  • leather toiletry
  • small toiletry
  • open a toiletry
Synonyms
  • toiletry bag

    more explicit; the compound form is more common than 'toiletry' alone for the container

  • wash bag

    common in British English; slightly informal

  • dopp kit

    American English term, especially for a leather or canvas toiletry bag

Grammar Patterns

a + toiletry

toiletry + noun (e.g. toiletry bag)

Common Mistakes

I packed my toiletry' (meaning items).
I packed my toiletries.
'toiletry' in the items sense is almost always used in the plural form 'toiletries'.

2. products such as soap, shampoo, toothpaste, and deodorant that people use to was

2.nounB1
Definition

products such as soap, shampoo, toothpaste, and deodorant that people use to wash and care for their bodies

Example

Ada packed her toiletries in a small plastic bag before going through airport security.

plural form: toiletries; collocation: pack toiletries

The hotel provides basic toiletries like shampoo and shower gel in every guest bathroom.

collocation: basic toiletries

Common collocations
  • pack toiletries
  • basic toiletries
  • liquid toiletries
  • travel-size toiletries
  • free toiletries
  • forget your toiletries
  • buy toiletries
Synonyms

Grammar Patterns

toiletries (plural)

pack + toiletries

basic + toiletries

Usage Note

Commonly used in the plural form 'toiletries'. This sense is significantly more common than the bag sense and is the meaning most English learners will encounter.

Common Mistakes

I bought some toiletry for the trip.
I bought some toiletries for the trip.
when referring to multiple items, always use the plural 'toiletries'.
The hotel has free toiletry in the bathroom.
The hotel has free toiletries in the bathroom.
'toiletries' is treated as a plural countable noun, not an uncountable mass noun.

Word family

  • toiletries
    noun (plural)B1
  • toilet
    nounA2
  • toilette
    nounC2

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/2

'Toiletries' refers specifically to items used for cleaning and basic body care — soap, shampoo, toothpaste, and deodorant. 'Personal care products' is a broader category that includes toiletries plus items like hand lotion, sunscreen, and makeup. 'Grooming products' overlaps but leans toward appearance-enhancing items such as hair gel, cologne, and shaving cream; it is less likely to include plain soap or toothpaste. 'Cosmetics' is narrower and covers makeup and skin treatments, not soap or shampoo. In everyday speech, both British and American speakers use 'toiletries' for the items they pack in a toiletry bag before a trip. A hotel may advertise 'complimentary toiletries' (soap and shampoo), while a store might have a 'personal care' aisle (a wider selection).

toiletriespersonal care productsgrooming productscosmetics

Common collocations

Nouns

  • toiletry bag
  • toiletry case
  • toiletry kit
  • toiletry products
  • toiletry items

Prepositions

  • a set of toiletries
  • a selection of toiletries

Etymology

FrenchEnglish

'Toiletry' comes from 'toilet', which entered English from French 'toilette', meaning a cloth for washing, later a dressing table, and then the act of washing and dressing oneself. The suffix '-ry' turns it into a collective noun meaning 'items used for a particular purpose'. The word originally referred to the act of grooming itself, but by the mid-20th century it had shifted to mean the products used in grooming.