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

• treasureless adjective
• treasurable 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

“There was a treasure chest on the float,” my dad recalled.

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The circulation of treasured possessions and an extraordinary sense of kindness can change lives.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

"We hope that whoever is lucky enough to win one of the stockings at auction will pass it down as a family heirloom to be treasured for decades to come," she added.

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A "treasure" of Northern Ireland's countryside has had a bumper year, thanks to warm weather and conservation efforts.

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Brightly coloured Gucci stilettos catch the eye from a distance; it's a treasure trove of top-label kit worth tens of thousands of pounds.

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Related Words

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