gents'
gents' — noun
1. a room with toilets that men use when they are in a public place such as a pub,
a room with toilets that men use when they are in a public place such as a pub, restaurant, or train station.
Eshe asked the waiter where the gents' was before ordering dessert.
typical pattern: 'the gents'' as a location noun
The pub on Baker Street has the gents' downstairs and the ladies' up by the bar.
paired contrast: 'the gents'' vs 'the ladies''
Samir slipped out to the gents' between the second and third songs of the concert.
At Paddington Station the gents' is past the ticket gates on the left.
There was a long queue for the gents' during the football match's half-time break.
- men's room
standard American equivalent
- men's toilet
neutral, more formal
- men's lavatory
formal British, mostly in signs
- ladies'
the women's equivalent
文法句型
the gents'
用法筆記
Almost always used with the definite article ('the gents''). British English; American speakers say 'the men's room' or 'the bathroom'.
常見錯誤
2. an informal short form of 'gentleman', used to praise a man who treats others, e
an informal short form of 'gentleman', used to praise a man who treats others, especially women, with kindness and good manners.
Maeve told her sister that Eitan was a real gents' for carrying both heavy suitcases up the stairs.
praise construction: 'a real gents''
The taxi driver was a proper gents' — he refused payment when he heard Noor had lost her wallet.
Anong said the neighbour who shovelled her driveway every winter was a true gents'.
Sofia's grandfather was the kind of gents' who always stood up when a woman entered the room.
文法句型
a real gents'
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense 1: sense 2 always describes a person and takes 'a' or 'a real/proper/true'; sense 1 names a room and almost always takes 'the'. Sense 2 is much rarer in modern British speech than the standard form 'gentleman'.