Treasure

views updated May 14 2018

654. Treasure

  1. Ali Baba uses magic to find thieves storehouse of booty. [Arab. Lit.: Arabian Nights, Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves]
  2. Comstock Lode richest silver vein in world. [Amer. Hist.: Flexner, 177]
  3. Dantés, Edmond digs up the treasure revealed to him by a dying fellow prisoner. [Fr. Lit.: Dumas The Count of Monte Cristo ]
  4. El Dorado legendary land of gold in South America. [Span. Myth.: NCE, 846]
  5. Fort Knox U.S. depository of gold bullion. [Am. Hist.: NCE, 984]
  6. forty-niners participants in California gold rush of 1849. [Am. Hist.: LLEI, I: 270]
  7. Golconda fabled Indian city, meaning source of great wealth. [Indian Hist.: NCE, 1101]
  8. gold bug leads to finding of Captain Kidds buried treasure. [Am. Lit.: Poe The Gold Bug]
  9. Golden Fleece fleece of pure gold from a winged ram, stolen from Colchis by Jason and the Argonauts. [Gk. Myth.: Benét, 406]
  10. Kidd, Captain (c. 16451701) pirate captures prizes and buries treasure. [Am. Lit.: Hart, 444]
  11. King Solomons mines in Africa; search for legendary lost treasure of King Solomon. [Br. Lit.: King Solomons Mines ]
  12. Legrand, William uncovers chest of gold by deciphering parchment. [Am. Lit.: Poe The Gold Bug]
  13. Mother Lode name applied to gold-mining region of California. [Am. Hist.: Hart, 569]
  14. Nibelung, the more gold and jewels than wagons could carry. [Ger. Lit.: Nibelungenlied ]
  15. Nostromo inadvertently gains hoard of silver ingots. [Br. Lit.: Nostromo ]
  16. Ophir Red Sea area noted for gold. [O.T.: I Kings 9:28; 10:11; 22:48]
  17. Sutters Mill site of first strike precipitating Gold Rush. [Am. Hist. Flexner, 175]
  18. Treasure Island search for buried treasure ignited by discovery of ancient map. [Br. Lit.: Treasure Island ]
  19. Treasure of the Sierra Madre, The in Mexico, written by the reclusive, pseudonymous B. Traven. [Am. and Mex. Lit.: The Treasure of the Sierra Madre ]

treasure

views updated May 18 2018

treas·ure / ˈtrezhər/ • n. a quantity of precious metals, gems, or other valuable objects. ∎  a very valuable object: she set out to look at the art treasures. ∎ inf. a person whom the speaker loves or who is valued for the assistance they can give: the housekeeper is a real treasure—I don't know what he would do without her.• v. [tr.] keep carefully (a valuable or valued item). ∎  value highly: the island is treasured by walkers and conservationists | [as adj.] (treasured) his library was his most treasured possession.

treasure

views updated Jun 27 2018

treasure originally, wealth or riches stored or accumulated, especially in the form of precious metals; later, a quantity of precious metals, gems, or other valuable objects. The word is recorded from Middle English, and comes ultimately from the Greek base of thesaurus.

In biblical allusions, treasure often denotes something valued by a person above all else, as in Matthew 6:21, ‘Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.’
Treasure State an informal name for Montana, noted for its gold, silver, copper, and coal mines.
treasure trove valuables of unknown ownership that are found hidden (as opposed to lost or abandoned) and declared the property of the Crown; the British law of treasure trove was abolished in 1996. Recorded from late Middle English, the term comes from Anglo-Norman French tresor trové, literally ‘found treasure’.

treasure

views updated May 23 2018

treasure wealth, riches; valued thing. XII. ME. tresor — (O)F. trésor :- Rom. *tresaurus, unexpl. alt. of L. thēsaurus (see THESAURUS).
Hence treasure vb. XIV (rare before XVII). So treasurer (-ER2) XIII. — AN. tresorer, (O)F. (mod.) trésorier. treasure trove treasure found hidden of unknown ownership. XVI (also trouey). — AN. tresor trové, i.e. tresor TREASURE, trové, pp. of trover (F. trouver) find. treasury XIII. — OF. tresorie, for tresorerie; see -Y2.

Treasure

views updated Jun 11 2018

Treasure

a store or stock of valuable things.

Examples : treasure of central fire (volcanos), 1707; of the church, 1753; of the field, 1382.