Aladdin's cave

noun

chiefly British

: a place containing a vast collection of unusual objects

… we found a strange two-storey barn-like building … with a below-street-level Aladdin's cave of dusty old furniture, much of it from the 1920s and 30s …

—Stephen Joyce, In Britain, April 1974

Word History

Etymology

from the cave in a traditional Middle Eastern tale of Aladdin and the magic lamp

First Known Use

1854, in the meaning defined above

Love words?

You must — there are over 200,000 words in our free online dictionary, but you are looking for one that’s only in the Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary.

Start your free trial today and get unlimited access to America's largest dictionary, with:

• More than 250,000 words that aren't in our free dictionary
• Expanded definitions, etymologies, and usage notes
• Advanced search features
• Ad free!