Word of the Day

: March 4, 2021

smorgasbord

noun SMOR-gus-bord

What It Means

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

smorgasbord in Context

"Each week, Bayle will highlight a spread inspired by both her New England and European adventures; this week's lineup features … a smorgasbord starter kit featuring rye bread, cultured butter, cheese, pickles, cranberry preserves, and more." — Erin Kuschner, Boston.com, 8 Jan. 2021

"The game is absolutely unapologetic when it comes to taking themes from its many sources of inspiration, which run the gamut of well-known science fiction books and movies. From classics such as H. G. Wells' War of the Worlds to more modern fare such as E.T., Terminator and Pacific Rim, 13 Sentinels Aegis Rim's narrative is a smorgasbord of science fiction references." — Jason Hidalgo, The Reno (Nevada) Gazette Journal, 25 Sept. 2020

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.