cornucopia

noun cor·nu·co·pia \ ˌkȯr-nə-ˈkō-pē-ə , -nyə-ˈkō- \

|Updated on: 12 Jun 2018

Examples: cornucopia in a Sentence

Editor's Note: cornucopia Has Latin Origins and Greek History

Definition of cornucopia

1 : a curved, hollow goat's horn or similarly shaped receptacle (such as a horn-shaped basket) that is overflowing especially with fruit and vegetables (such as gourds, ears of corn, apples, and grapes) and that is used as a decorative motif emblematic of abundance — called also horn of plenty

2 : an inexhaustible store : abundance

We marveled at the cornucopia of fruits, meats, toys, fresh fish, baskets, utensils and leather goods for sale in stalls that lined the streets for as far as we could see.
—Guy Garcia

For contemporary performers, soul represents a cornucopia of musical ideas.
—Jon Pareles

3 : a receptacle shaped like a horn or cone

—

cornucopian

play \ˌkȯr-nə-ˈkō-pē-ən, -nyə-ˈkō-\ adjective

See cornucopia defined for English-language learners

See cornucopia defined for kids

cornucopia was our Word of the Day on 10/29/2013. Hear the podcast!

Examples of cornucopia in a Sentence

The market is a cornucopia of fruits and vegetables.
The book includes a cornucopia of wonderful stories.

Recent Examples of cornucopia from the Web

Because a city made for scooters is a city ready to embrace a cornucopia of mobility options that don’t require sitting in a car, clogging the streets, and choking the planet.

— alex davies, WIRED, "Save the Scooters, Redesign the Streets, and Save San Francisco," 4 June 2018
In the 39th district, Thorburn is one of a cornucopia of Democratic candidates — sparking fears that Democratic voters may spread their support so thin that the top two slots on the general election ballot will go to Republican candidates.

— deirdre shesgreen, USA TODAY, "California primary holds promise and peril for Democrats as they seek to win House majority," 4 June 2018
But just below that surface lies a cornucopia of subtly etched detail.

— joshua kosman, San Francisco Chronicle, "John Luther Adams’ ‘Become Desert’ is a shimmery masterpiece," 9 Apr. 2018
Pitchfork Music Festival returns to take over your weekend with a cornucopia of great music.

— efrain dorado, RedEye Chicago, "5 must-see concerts this week: Pitchfork, Cherry Glazerr, Vagabon," 11 July 2017
How did a touristy Hill Country town known for its German heritage, fine wine and peaches end up with a cornucopia of talent on its high school baseball team?

— adam zuvanich, San Antonio Express-News, "Small-town Fredericksburg team big on talent," 23 May 2018
Chicago has proven itself to be a diversified cornucopia of music makers and there’s no reason to miss out on some of the sounds the city has to offer.

— efrain dorado, RedEye Chicago, "5 must-see concerts in Chicago this week: RAC, Big Thief, Daniel Johnston," 11 Oct. 2017
And there's a cornucopia of options to meet aesthetic and budgetary needs, says Mark Karas, the president of the National Kitchen & Bath Association and general manager of Adams Kitchens, a remodeling company in Stoneham, Massachusetts.

— sarah stebbins, ELLE Decor, "How To Choose The Best Kitchen Cabinets," 8 Apr. 2016
His cabinet officials have heeded this example, together amassing a cornucopia of corruption scandals more varied and abundant than than any previous administration has ever assembled.

— eric levitz, Daily Intelligencer, "Trumpism Is Having Its Best Week Ever," 10 May 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'cornucopia.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

cornucopia Has Latin Origins and Greek History

Cornucopia comes from the Latin cornu copiae, which translates literally as "horn of plenty." A traditional staple of feasts, the cornucopia is believed to represent the horn of a goat from Greek mythology. According to legend, it was from this horn that the god Zeus was fed as an infant. Later, the horn was filled with flowers and fruits, and given as a present to Zeus. The filled horn (or a receptacle resembling it) has long served as a traditional symbol in art and decoration to suggest a store of abundance. The word first appeared in English in the early 16th century; a century later, it developed the figurative sense of an overflowing supply.