smorgasbord
UK /ˈsmɔːɡæs(ˌ)bɔːd/ · US /ˈsmɔɹɡəsˌbɔɹd/ noun
Forms smorgasbords
- noun A Swedish-style buffet comprising a variety of cold sandwiches and other dishes; (by extension) any buffet with a wide selection of dishes.
- noun (figuratively) An abundant and diverse collection of things.
Synonyms
assortment hodgepodge medley miscellany Whitman's sampler bouillabaisse bric-a-brac catch-all clamjamfrey cocktail rummage salad anthology gallery gatherum congeries crazyquilt disjecta membra farrago galimatias mixture mixed bag miscellanea variety salmagundi potpourri motley
Etymology
Borrowed from Swedish smörgåsbord (“buffet with many small dishes; smorgasbord”), from smörgås (“sandwich”) + bord (“table”). Smörgås is from Swedish smör (“butter”) + gås (“goose”), a reference to pieces of butter which float to the surface of milk when churned.
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 — from the Wiktionary entry “smorgasbord”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details