smorgasbord
noun
Did you know?
Although smorgasbord might make us think of a variety of foods, the Swedish word smörgås refers to a particular food item—an open sandwich or, alternatively, a slice of bread covered with butter—which is a staple of the traditional Swedish smorgasbord. (The word smör means "butter," and gås can mean "a lump of butter" as well as "goose.") Smörgås teamed up with the Swedish word bord, meaning "table" or "board," to form smorgasbord; the word first appeared in English in the later part of the 19th century. By the mid-20th century smorgasbord was being used outside of food-related contexts to refer to something that comprises a mixture or assemblage of different parts.
Examples of smorgasbord in a Sentence
Terry Ward, AFAR Media, 11 Sep. 2025
Social media, which was supposed to bring humanity closer together, has also created a smorgasbord of new ways to be rejected—D.M.s left on read, posts gone unliked, friends unfriended—that can engender the age-old fear of being ignored.
—Kyle Chayka, New Yorker, 3 Sep. 2025
His live set felt like a celebration of his 35-year Nashville legacy, chosen and served like a delightful, metaphorical smorgasbord of powerful emotions.
—Marcus K. Dowling, The Tennessean, 21 Aug. 2025
Gamescom 2025 is upon us, showcasing a smorgasbord of new games for us to get hyped for.
—Ian Stokes, Space.com, 21 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for smorgasbord
Cite this Entry
“Smorgasbord.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/smorgasbord. Accessed 17 Sep. 2025.
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smorgasbord
noun
from Swedish smörgåsbord "a buffet meal," from smörgås "open sandwich" and bord "table"
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