smorgasbord

noun smor·gas·bord \ ˈsmȯr-gəs-ˌbȯrd \

Definition of smorgasbord

1 :a luncheon or supper buffet offering a variety of foods and dishes (such as hors d'oeuvres, hot and cold meats, smoked and pickled fish, cheeses, salads, and relishes)

2 :an often large heterogeneous mixture :mélange

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Examples of smorgasbord in a Sentence

every day the director has to first deal with a smorgasbord of problems before he can begin filming

Recent Examples of smorgasbord from the Web

The cult beauty brand put together a smorgasbord of superhero designs for everything from mascara to eyeliner to nail polish.

— lilian min, Cosmopolitan, "This K-Beauty Brand Just Dropped the Dopest Marvel Makeup Set," 15 July 2017
Scot Nery’s Boobie Trap, a sideshow smorgasbord staged on Wednesdays at King King in Hollywood, presents 15 performers who aim to impress with magic, music, juggling, or perhaps even a portrayal of a lactating cow.

— marielle wakim, Los Angeles Magazine, "Best of LA: 92 of Our Favorite Things to Eat, Do, and Buy Right Now," 14 July 2017
What to expect from Prime Day 2017 Similar to 2016, Amazon is planning for nearly a week of sales as an appetizer for the main deals smorgasbord.

— ian paul, PCWorld, "Amazon Prime Day 2017: Everything you need to know about Amazon's shopping extravaganza," 29 June 2017
Here’s a smorgasbord of spring sports all-area teams to wrap up the 2016-17 Varsity school year.

— buddy collings, OrlandoSentinel.com, "Orlando Sentinel spring sports all-area teams," 23 June 2017
A candy smorgasbord is reduced to just one sad bucket of Red Vines, and that Doritos bag Romy so memorably confiscates features an incongruous modern design that sticks out badly.

— dusty somers, The Seattle Times, "Review: ‘Romy and Michele’ and their reunion, on the 5th Avenue Theatre stage," 19 June 2017
Unlike some upright freezers that have little in them, Johnson-Dunlop's freezer is like a smorgasbord.

— judy buchenot, Aurora Beacon-News, "Cook shares method for dehydrating, freezing food," 16 June 2017
Dessert Goals, NYC’s sweet smorgasbord, arrives in L.A. this weekend for its inaugural 90-minute festival.

— marielle wakim, Los Angeles Magazine, "The 5 Best Things to Do in L.A. This Weekend, Hands Down," 16 June 2017
For all the foodies out there who miss the delicious tradition of Taste of Arlington’s annual smorgasbord of tempting dishes, not to worry.

— faye reeder, star-telegram.com, "Taste of Arlington returns Sept. 2 with new format, venue," 14 June 2017

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

Origin and Etymology of smorgasbord

Swedish smörgåsbord, from smörgås open sandwich + bord table

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First Known Use: 1879

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smorgasbord Synonyms

Synonyms

agglomerate, agglomeration, alphabet soup, assortment, botch, clutter, collage, crazy quilt, farrago, gallimaufry, grab bag, gumbo, hash, hodgepodge, hotchpotch, jambalaya, jumble, jungle, litter, macédoine, medley, mélange, menagerie, miscellanea, mishmash, mixed bag, montage, motley, muddle, olio, olla podrida, omnium-gatherum, pastiche, patchwork, patchwork quilt, potpourri, ragbag, ragout, rummage, salad, salmagundi, scramble, shuffle, miscellany, stew, tumble, variety, welter

Other Food Terms

Reuben, calamari, chuck, curry, edamame, foie gras, hummus, leaven, nonpareil, peel

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See words that rhyme with smorgasbord Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for smorgasbord Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about smorgasbord

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