Word Noun
gents
n.
plural-only
B1 Intermediate US /ˈdʒɛnts/ UK /dʒˈɛnts/ gents
Definition
n.a polite or slightly funny way to say 'men'. You also use it to talk about a public toilet for men.
n.a colloquial shortening of 'gentlemen', used as a collective address or to refer to a male public lavatory.
Examples
“The gents are over there by the entrance.”
“He excused himself from the table to visit the gents before the main course arrived.”
Usage
Pluralia tantum when referring to the toilet facility; takes plural verb agreement ('The gents are closed').
Pitfall
Where is the gent?Where are the gents?
When referring to the bathroom, the word is always plural and requires a plural verb.
Etymology
A clipped form of gentlemen. As a room, via misspelling of gents', a clipped form of gentlemen's room.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
This entry
Level B1 · Intermediate
Frequency Occasional
Updated