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
The Atlantic, 15 May 2025
King is a sure-fire starter at center, but the combination of the new staff and a smorgasbord of young talent leaves question marks at four of the five positions on the offensive line.
—Hunter Bailey, Charlotte Observer, 18 Mar. 2025
Studies have pointed to a veritable smorgasbord of knock-on effects, including an increase in car accidents, heart attacks, strokes and potential negative effects on blood pressure and, most obviously, sleep.
—Luis Melecio-Zambrano, The Mercury News, 6 Mar. 2025
After all, in the pre-tariff era, American consumers have enjoyed unfettered access to a smorgasbord of fine value wines.
—Anna Lee Iijima, Chicago Tribune, 23 Apr. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Smorgasbord.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/smorgasbord. Accessed 25 May. 2025.
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smorgasbord
noun
from Swedish smörgåsbord "a buffet meal," from smörgås "open sandwich" and bord "table"
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