treasure

[trezh-er]

noun

1. wealth or riches stored or accumulated, especially in the form of precious metals, money, jewels, or plate.

   Synonyms: hoard

2. wealth, rich materials, or valuable things.

3. any thing or person greatly valued or highly prized.

   This book was his chief treasure.

verb (used with object)

treasured, treasuring 

1. to retain carefully or keep in store, as in the mind.

2. to regard or treat as precious; cherish.

   Synonyms: esteem, value

3. to put away for security or future use, as money.

   Synonyms: hoard

treasure

/ ˈtrɛʒə /

noun

1. wealth and riches, usually hoarded, esp in the form of money, precious metals, or gems

2. a thing or person that is highly prized or valued

verb

1. to prize highly as valuable, rare, or costly

2. to store up and save; hoard

Other Word Forms

• treasurable adjective
• treasureless adjective
• untreasurable adjective
• untreasured adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of treasure¹

First recorded in 1125–75; (for the noun) Middle English tresor, from Old French, from Gallo-Romance trēsaurus (unrecorded), from Latin thēsaurus “storehouse, hoard” ( thesaurus ); verb derivative of the noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of treasure¹

C12: from Old French tresor , from Latin thēsaurus anything hoarded, from Greek thēsauros

Example Sentences

Landing in Peru in 1531, during the Inca Civil War, the Spanish conquistador Francisco Pizarro found the Inca Road an ideal conduit for seizing the empire and draining it of its treasure.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Even though the government has honoured her as a "living human treasure" and invites her to celebrations of South African heritage, she struggles financially.

Read more on Barron's

This moves the contact into the seldom used “X file,” where I can, in my moments of reverie, review and remind myself of those once treasured relationships.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Twice a year, the fair celebrates printed treasures in all their collectible forms — with the next event set for February in Pasadena.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

It's become so treasured that some dermatologists recommend "banking" it - investing in our collagen supply early so we have surplus when the inevitable happens.

Read more on BBC

Related Words

• bounty 
• cache 
• cash 
• gem 
• gold 
• jewel 
• money 
• prize 
• reserve 
• riches 
• valuable 
• wealth