treasure

English

Alternative forms

• treasuer (chiefly archaic)

Etymology

From Middle English tresour, from Old French tresor (“treasury”), from Latin thēsaurus (“treasure”), from Ancient Greek θησαυρός (thēsaurós, “treasure house”). Displaced native Old English goldhord and Old English ġestrēon. Doublet of thesaurus.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈtɹɛʒə/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈtɹɛʒɚ/, /ˈt͡ʃɹɛʒɚ/

• Audio (GA)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɛʒə(ɹ)
• Hyphenation: treas‧ure

Noun

treasure (countable and uncountable, plural treasures)

1. (uncountable) A collection of valuable things; accumulated wealth; a stock of money, jewels, etc.
   • 1883, Robert Louis Stevenson, chapter 20, in Treasure Island:

     "Now," resumed Silver, "here it is. You give us the chart to get the treasure by, and drop shooting poor seamen and stoving of their heads in while asleep. You do that, and we'll offer you a choice. Either you come aboard along of us, once the treasure shipped, and then I'll give you my affy-davy, upon my word of honour, to clap you somewhere safe ashore.

2. (countable) Anything greatly valued.
   • 1611, The Holy Bible,  (King James Version), London: Robert Barker, , →OCLC, Exodus 19:5:

     Ye shall be peculiar treasure unto me.

   • 1640 July 30, [John Towers], “Upon the Sending of the First Volume of These Sermons to the Right Reverend Father in God, the Bishop of Peterborough, then My Diocesan, I Received This Letter”, in John Donne, XXVI. Sermons (Never before Publish’d) Preached by that Learned and Reverend Divine John Donne, , London: Thomas Newcomb, , published 1661, →OCLC:

     You have ſent me a Treaſure, and I would not ſhare time to tell you ſo, till I had ſomewhat ſatisfied the thirſt I had to drink down many of thoſe Excellent Sermons, which I have ſo long deſired: […]

   • 1681, Nahum Tate, The History of King Lear:

     I found the whole to answer your Account of it, a Heap of Jewels, unstrung and unpolisht; yet so dazling in their Disorder, that I soon perceiv'd I had seiz'd a Treasure.

   • 1946, Ernest Tubb, Filipino Baby:

     She's my Filipino baby she's my treasure and my pet
     Her teeth are bright and pearly and her hair is black as jet

3. (countable) A term of endearment.
   • 1922, Francis Rufus Bellamy, A Flash of Gold:

     "Hello, Treasure," he said without turning round. For a second she hesitated, standing in the soft light of the lamp, the deep blue of the rug making a background for her, the black fur collar of her coat framing the vivid beauty of her face.

Derived terms

Related terms

• treasury

Translations

Verb

treasure (third-person singular simple present treasures, present participle treasuring, simple past and past participle treasured)

1. (transitive, of a person or thing) To consider to be precious; to value highly.

   Oh, this ring is beautiful! I’ll treasure it forever.

   • 1838, Eliza Cook, “The Old Armchair”, in Melania and other Poems:

     I LOVE it, I love it ; and who shall dare
     To chide me for loving that old Arm-chair ?
     I've treasured it long as a sainted prize ;
     I've bedewed it with tears, and embalmed it with sighs.

2. (transitive) To store or stow in a safe place.
   • 1825, Walter Scott, The Talisman:

     The rose-buds, withered as they were, were still treasured under his cuirass, and nearest to his heart.

3. (transitive, obsolete) To enrich.

Synonyms

• (to consider to be precious): cherish

Antonyms

• (antonym(s) of "to consider to be precious"): despise

Derived terms

Translations

Anagrams

• austerer, treasuer