cornucopia

noun

cor·​nu·​co·​pia ˌkȯr-nə-ˈkō-pē-ə 

-nyə-ˈkō-

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

ˌkȯr-nə-ˈkō-pē-ən 

-nyə-ˈkō-

adjective

Illustration of cornucopia

• cornucopia a

Did you know?

Cornucopia Has Latin Origins and Greek History

Cornucopia comes from the Late Latin phrase 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, which could be filled with whatever the owner wished, that the god Zeus was fed as an infant by his nurse, the nymph Amalthaea. 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.”

Synonyms of cornucopia

• repository
• wellspring
• gold mine
• treasure trove
• mine

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 on the Web

The Sagrada Familia fuses the universal language of nature — trees, birds, reptiles, cornucopias of fruit — with scenes from Christ's life. —ABC News, 9 June 2026

Choose from Gregg’s Mistflower (a favorite for the butterfly garden), microgreens, Sansevieria (snake plant), or a cornucopia of summer vegetables. —Julie Gallant, San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 June 2026

Come summer, colorful cornucopias of tomatoes, okra, squash, peppers, and more, are ripe for the picking. —Nellah Bailey McGough, Southern Living, 22 May 2026

The result was a cornucopia of genetic contamination, including human DNA matching the original collector of the 1978 sample, as well as human DNA that is common in western Eurasia, Europe and the Near East. —Stephanie Pappas, Scientific American, 9 Apr. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Late Latin, from Latin cornu copiae horn of plenty

First Known Use

1508, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for cornucopia

• atropia
• cecropia
• diplopia
• dystopia
• myopia
• utopia
• amblyopia
• hyperopia
• hypermetropia

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Kids Definition

cornucopia

noun

cor·​nu·​co·​pia ˌkȯr-n(y)ə-ˈkō-pē-ə 

1

: a horn-shaped container overflowing with fruits and flowers used as a symbol of plenty

2

: a container shaped like a horn or a cone