smorgasbord

noun

smor·gas·bord ˈsmȯr-gəs-ˌbȯrd

: 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)

: an often large heterogeneous mixture : mélange

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

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

Recent Examples on the Web

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Trump’s Inauguration Day was a true smorgasbord of misogynistic actions. —

Stephanie McNeal, Glamour, 22 Jan. 2025 Drug boss series, biopics, a Kiwi skateboarding drama and a smorgasbord of period pieces are set for the upcoming Berlinale Co-Production Market. —

Stewart Clarke, Deadline, 17 Jan. 2025 While progress must be balanced with the proper oversight, sweeping regulations at the federal level will be far more effective than sitting back as individual states pass a smorgasbord of regulations, each with its own fine print. —

Dave Link, Forbes, 8 Jan. 2025 Plus a slasher smorgasbord of serial killers... Jennifer Ouellette – 10/31/2024 | 142 Most Read 1. —

Stephen Clark, Ars Technica, 1 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for smorgasbord