menagerie

noun

me·​nag·​er·​ie
mə-ˈnaj-rē,
-ˈna-jə- How to pronounce menagerie (audio)
 also  -ˈnazh-rē,
-ˈna-zhə-
1
a
: a place where animals are kept and trained especially for exhibition
b
: a collection of wild or foreign animals kept especially for exhibition
2
: a varied mixture
a menagerie of comediansTV Guide
A menagerie of grotesque statues stood in the garden.

Did you know?

Back in the days of Middle French, ménagerie meant "the management of a household or farm" or "a place where animals are tended." When English speakers adopted menagerie in the 1600s, they applied it specifically to places where wild and often also foreign animals were kept and trained for exhibition, as well as to the animals so kept. This second meaning was eventually generalized to refer to any varied mixture, especially one that includes things that are strange or foreign to one's experience.

Examples of menagerie in a Sentence

a menagerie of rare creatures the living room is eclectically furnished with a menagerie of garage-sale finds
Recent Examples on the Web With her lives a full menagerie of animals, including cats, birds, horses, and a pack of enormous Great Pyrenees dogs. Joel Khalili, WIRED, 11 Sep. 2024 Astrid’s boarding school now boasts the Deetz Art Center, featuring a menagerie of Delia’s eccentric sculptures from the first film (including that wild claw-like sculpture that once pinned her to the wall). Katcy Stephan, Variety, 6 Sep. 2024 At their Australian home, the Hemsworth family also includes a veritable menagerie, as revealed in glimpses on The Drew Barrymore Show. Jack Smart, Peoplemag, 24 Sep. 2024 And the second revealed the full menagerie of creatures that will appear in Season 2, including wraiths, wolves, ents and a giant cave troll. Jordan Moreau, Variety, 26 July 2024 See all Example Sentences for menagerie 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'menagerie.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

French ménagerie, from Middle French, management of a household or farm, from menage

First Known Use

1676, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of menagerie was in 1676

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Cite this Entry

“Menagerie.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/menagerie. Accessed 14 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

menagerie

noun
me·​nag·​er·​ie mə-ˈnaj-(ə-)rē How to pronounce menagerie (audio)
 also  -ˈnazh-
1
: a place where animals are kept and trained especially for exhibition
2
: a collection of wild or foreign animals kept especially for exhibition

More from Merriam-Webster on menagerie

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