potpourri

noun

pot·pour·ri ˌpō-pu̇-ˈrē

Synonyms of potpourri next

: a mixture of flowers, herbs, and spices that is usually kept in a jar and used for scent

: a miscellaneous collection : medley

a potpourri of the best songs and sketches—

Current Biography

Did you know?

Some people delight in the scent of potpourri, and others find it cloying. Happily, this word manages to contain elements which will make each of these groups feel that their preferences are linguistically supported. Potpourri is used today to refer literally to a fragrant mixture of flowers, herbs, etc., and figuratively to a miscellaneous collection, or medley, of things. But potpourri first referred to a kind of stew of meat and vegetables, usually including sausage and chickpeas. It was borrowed from French, where pot pourri translates directly as “putrid pot”; the French word was a translation of the Spanish olla podrida, which likewise means “rotten pot.” We don't know why both the Spanish and the French gave their stews such unappetizing names, although it has been suggested that the Spanish method of slowly cooking this dish over a fire may have had something to do with it. Regardless, after referring solely to stew for its first hundred and some-odd years, potpourri began to be used for an aromatic blend of dried flowers in the middle of the 18th century, and within the next hundred years was being applied to mixtures and collections of all kinds of things.

Examples of potpourri in a Sentence

The festival was a musical potpourri—performances included folk, jazz, blues, and rap music. a potpourri of hit songs from the last 10 years

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.

The palate features flavors of strawberry, ripe pink grapefruit, and potpourri. —

Joseph V Micallef, Forbes, 5 Jan. 2025 Spend some time reflecting on your most positive winter connections, and then seek out a scent that can keep them fresh for you every day—whether that means adding candles, potpourri, essential oils, or reed diffusers to your home. —

Angela Haupt, TIME, 3 Dec. 2024 Du Pont took up residence and across the property created a potpourri of gardens and playful fountains. —

airmail.news, 16 Nov. 2024 While the shop is small, the selection is a potpourri ranging from practical garden tools to the prettiest holiday decor. —

Kirby Adams, The Courier-Journal, 25 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for potpourri