Meanings
gents1
alternative Gents
- UKeuphemisticinformalA men's room: a lavatory intended for use by men.
Where is the gents? I need a slash.
3 more examples
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".
1898, The Hotel/Motor Hotel Monthly, volume 6, page 27London's first 'gents' public toilets were opened in Fleet Street in 1851, followed in 1852 by a 'ladies' toilet at 51 Bedford Street, Strand.
2000, Munroe Blair, Ceramic Water Closets, page 15One unidentified man spoke of how he was approached to "go to the Gents" with an MP at an event for young political activists while another man described how an MP invited his entire office staff to a gay bar.
2014 April 11, Charlotte Meredith, “The Palace of Sexminster”, in Huffington Post: United Kingdom
Gents2
- alternativeAlternative form of gents: a men's room, a lavatory intended for use by men.
"I don't want to go in there like this. We'll go to the Gents and see you back in the car park"... Naylor... started to walk him towards the toilet.
2011, John Harvey, Lonely Hearts, page 641 more example
One unidentified man spoke of how he was approached to "go to the Gents" with an MP at an event for young political activists while another man described how an MP invited his entire office staff to a gay bar.
2014 April 11, Charlotte Meredith, “The Palace of Sexminster”, in Huffington Post: United Kingdom
Synonyms & antonyms
Origin
A clipped form of gentlemen. As a room, via misspelling of gents', a clipped form of gentlemen's room.
Full word history & related roots →Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with gents
All rhymes →Anagrams
Cite this entry
gents. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/gents
“gents.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/gents. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “gents,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/gents.
Source: gents on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.