Pl. -i. [L., a. Gr. θησαυρός a store, treasure, storehouse, treasury.]
1. Archæol. A treasury, as of a temple, etc.
1823. in Crabb, Technol. Dict.
1846. in Worcester.
1847. Grote, Greece, II. ix. III. 44. Myrôn … built at the same holy place [Olympia] a thesaurus … for the reception of commemorative offerings.
2. A ‘treasury’ or ‘storehouse’ of knowledge, as a dictionary, encyclopædia, or the like.
[1565. Cooper (title), Thesaurus Linguæ Romanæ et Britannicæ [etc.].
1736. Ainsworth (title), Thesaurus Linguæ Latinæ compendiarius; or … Dictionary of the Latin Tongue.]
1840. Mill, Diss. & Disc. (1859), II. 461. A thesaurus of commonplaces for the discussion of questions.
1852. Roget (title), Thesaurus of English Words and Phrases classified and arranged [etc.].
1862. Marsh, Lect. Eng. Lang., iii. 49. In a complete thesaurus of any language, the etymology of every word should exhibit both its philology and its linguistics.
1906. Westm. Gaz., 18 Dec., 2/2. This work is one of five thesauri published under the auspices of Kang Hsi, the second Emperor of the present dynasty.
1910. Spectator, 20 Aug., 279/2. A thesaurus of critical learning.
