smorgasbord

noun

smor·​gas·​bord ˈsmȯr-gəs-ˌbȯrd How to pronounce smorgasbord (audio)
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

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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Limiting the pool to those who were under 25 and didn’t step to the plate 350 times last year costs us someone like Wyatt Langford, but still leaves us a smorgasbord of young talent, all above-average across the league in our four-stat score. Eno Sarris, The Athletic, 24 Feb. 2025 The diner should have a whole smorgasbord to choose from. arkansasonline.com, 1 Mar. 2025 With so many vying for their attention, one savvy distributor found a novel way to get some quality time with the in-demand execs; provide a taxi service to and from the smorgasbord of events and shop them your wares during the ride. Stewart Clarke, Deadline, 28 Feb. 2025 Pair with a smorgasbord that includes sharp cheeses, jerky and fresh vegetables—cauliflower and broccoli. Tom Mullen, Forbes, 23 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for smorgasbord

Word History

Etymology

Swedish smörgåsbord, from smörgås open sandwich + bord table

First Known Use

1873, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of smorgasbord was in 1873

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Cite this Entry

“Smorgasbord.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/smorgasbord. Accessed 1 Apr. 2025.

Kids Definition

smorgasbord

noun
smor·​gas·​bord ˈsmȯr-gəs-ˌbō(ə)rd How to pronounce smorgasbord (audio)
-ˌbȯ(ə)rd
: a self-service luncheon or supper offering a large variety of foods and dishes
Etymology

from Swedish smörgåsbord "a buffet meal," from smörgås "open sandwich" and bord "table"

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