A flush toilet or water closet is a toilet that disposes of the waste products by using water to sweep them away down a drainpipe. The water is also used as a hygenic barrier between the drainpipe and the user.
It is widely held that Alexander Cumming was the true inventor of the modern flush toilet.
Some legends misattribute the invention to Thomas Crapper.
And yet, the ancient Cretans already had perfectly functional flushing toilets circa 2000 B.C.