| treasure-trove | |
| —n | |
| 1. | law valuable articles, such as coins, bullion, etc, found hidden in the earth or elsewhere and of unknown ownership. Such articles become the property of the Crown, which compensates the finder if the treasure is declared. In 1996 treasure was defined as any item over 300 years old and containing more than 5% precious metal |
| 2. | anything similarly discovered that is of value |
| [C16: from Anglo-French tresor trové treasure found, from Old French tresor | |
| a calculus or concretion found in the stomach or intestines of certain animals, esp. ruminants, formerly reputed to be an effective remedy for poison. |
| a stew of meat, vegetables, potatoes, etc. |