gents'

IPA/dʒˈɛnts/
IPA/dʒˈɛnts/

gents' — noun

1. a room with toilets that men use when they are in a public place such as a pub,

1.nounB2
Definition

a room with toilets that men use when they are in a public place such as a pub, restaurant, or train station.

Example

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''

Common collocations
  • queue for the gents'
  • find the gents'
  • go to the gents'
Synonyms
Antonyms

Grammar Patterns

the gents'

Usage Note

Almost always used with the definite article ('the gents''). British English; American speakers say 'the men's room' or 'the bathroom'.

Common Mistakes

I'm going to gents'.
I'm going to the gents'.
needs the definite article 'the'.
The gents are over there.' (meaning the toilet)
The gents' is over there.
the toilet sense keeps the apostrophe and takes a singular verb.

2. an informal short form of 'gentleman', used to praise a man who treats others, e

2.nounC1
Definition

an informal short form of 'gentleman', used to praise a man who treats others, especially women, with kindness and good manners.

Example

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.

Common collocations
  • a real gents'
  • a proper gents'
  • a true gents'
Synonyms
  • gentleman

    the full standard form; more neutral and formal

  • gent

    another informal short form, without the apostrophe

Grammar Patterns

a real gents'

Usage Note

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'.

Common Mistakes

He is gentleman.
He is a real gents'.
when using this informal form, keep 'a' (often with 'real', 'proper', or 'true').
She is a gents'.
She is a lady.
only used of men.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All four refer to a place with toilets, but their register and geography differ. 'Gents'' is informal British English and is almost always preceded by 'the'; you hear it in pubs and on signs above the door. 'Men's room' is the standard American equivalent and sounds neutral in the US but slightly formal in Britain. 'Loo' is informal British for any toilet, regardless of who uses it — you can say 'I need the loo' but not 'I need the gents'' unless you specifically mean the men's facility. 'Lavatory' is formal and chiefly British, common in written signs and on aircraft. For everyday British speech, 'the gents'' (men only) and 'the loo' (anyone) are the most natural choices.

gents' ↗men's roomloo ↗lavatory ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • queue for the gents'
  • door of the gents'
  • sign on the gents'

Phrases

  • go to the gents'
  • find the gents'
  • use the gents'

Prepositions

  • to the gents'
  • in the gents'
  • out of the gents'

Etymology

Old FrenchMiddle EnglishModern English

Shortened form of the possessive 'gentlemen's', as in 'gentlemen's room' or 'gentlemen's toilet'. The apostrophe at the end marks the dropped letters of '-emen's'. The word first appears on British public-toilet signage in the late nineteenth century, when separate-sex facilities became standard in railway stations and other Victorian public buildings.