A chamber pot ( also a chamberpot ) , a piss pot , a potty , or a thunder pot ) is a container with a handle , usually used as a urinal at night . It is kept in a bedroom under a bed or in a nightstand . A chamber pot ( also a chamberpot , a jerry , a Jordan , a po , a gazunder ( possibly from French `` pot de chambre '' or more likely a contraction of ` goes under ' ) , a piss pot , a potty , or a thunder pot ) is a bowl-shaped container with a handle , and often a lid , kept in the bedroom under a bed or in the cabinet of a nightstand and generally used as a urinal at night .