English

Noun

gents' ‎(plural gents')

1. possessive case of gents: belonging to some or all gents.
   • 1898, The Hotel/Motor Hotel Monthly, Vol. 6, page 27:

     A gents' toilet room might be found in a house that caters for the cheaper class of theatrical patronage, where the slangy language of the "goin' to the mat this aft?" style prevails. A gents toilet room is not found in the Southern Hotel. It either "men's" or "gentlemen's".

   • 2012, Roopa Farooki, The Flying Man, page 137:

     ...our modern man in Hong Kong excuses himself to go to the gents'. The broad window overlooking the lights of Hong Kong in the gents' loo is astonishingly elevated too, and as he relieves himself, gazing out into the night of diamond dust, across the fairy glimmering of the city, he feels something shift in a subtle way...

2. Synonym of men's room: a lavatory intended for use by men.
   • 2004, David Nobbs, Sex and Other Changes, page 95:

     "I'm dressed as a woman, but I am still technically a man. I believe that to comply with the law of the land I ought to continue to use the Gents', but in order not to look out place I intend to use the Ladies' from now on. I trust none of you will grass on me..."

   • 2007, Julia Niebuhr Eulenberg, "Hold the Salad" in I Should Have Stayed Home: Food, page 68 f.:

     I asked the way to the restroom. A young lady pointed the way and said, "I'm afraid you'll have to use the Gents', they're painting the Women's."

   • 2012, Roopa Farooki, The Flying Man, page 137:

     ...our modern man in Hong Kong excuses himself to go to the gents'. The broad window overlooking the lights of Hong Kong in the gents' loo is astonishingly elevated too, and as he relieves himself, gazing out into the night of diamond dust, across the fairy glimmering of the city, he feels something shift in a subtle way...

   • 2014, Trevor Dalton, Rhyme for Reason, page 102:

     When he was quite satisfied with his handiwork, The Poet opened the toilet window, and then walked quickly from the gents' into the ladies'.

Usage notes

In reference to lavatories, now much more common in British English without the apostrophe: gents.

Synonyms

• men's; gents (UK); see also Wikisaurus:bathroom

Coordinate terms

• ladies'

Derived terms

• gents (as a lavatory)

See also

• Appendix:Special uses of possessives in English