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treasure

A2
verbnoun

Pronunciation

UK

  • /trˈɛʒə/

US

  • /ˈtrɛʒər/

Description

It is not just gold in a pirate chest. It can mean money, jewels, or other valuable things, but it can also mean anything a person cares about deeply. A grandmother's handwritten recipe book can be as special as a box full of diamonds. When people talk about lost treasure, they often mean more than the objects themselves; they also mean the story, mystery, and history around them. You can also "treasure" a friendship, a memory, or a quiet moment with people you love. The word comes from Old French tresor, which meant stored wealth.

Examples

  1. 1

    Museum valuables

    The museum keeps its most valuable treasures in a climate-controlled room.

  2. 2

    Personal value

    For her, an hour of quiet in the morning is a real treasure.

  3. 3

    Family memories

    The old photo album is one of his family’s greatest treasures.

  4. 4

    Rich collection

    Fans were excited when the archive released a treasure trove of old interviews.

    • Phrase

      treasure trove

      a large collection of valuable or interesting things

  5. 5

    Keepsakes

    I still treasure the letters my grandmother wrote to me.

  6. 6

    Family time

    After moving abroad, he learned to treasure weekends with his parents.

  7. 7

    Special opportunity

    She knows this chance won’t come again, so she treasures every minute of it.

See also

nounvaluable objects or wealth, especially stored or hidden

Similar

Shades of meaning

Contrast

Used with (collocations)

  • buried treasure
  • treasure chest
  • hidden treasure
  • treasure hunt

Word family

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Forms and spellings

4 forms open this card.

Main spelling

  • treasurenounverb

Forms

  • treasurespluralnounverb
  • treasuredpast tenseverbnoun
  • treasuring-ing formverbnoun