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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And a little closer to home, this year's ITV show Joan starring Sophie Turner served up a smorgasbord of delicious boxy, '80s looks complete with fur coats and big diamonds. —

Rosana Lai, Glamour, 30 Dec. 2024 Not to be beat, Oklahoma declared a state meal, trying to squeeze a whole smorgasbord into a single symbol, with three meats, five vegetables, two forms of bread, and two desserts. —

Casey Cep, The New Yorker, 28 Dec. 2024 Tickets include party favors, a drink at midnight and a late-night smorgasbord. —

Cathy Kozlowicz, Journal Sentinel, 26 Dec. 2024 Trump’s smorgasbord of tax proposals are poised to hasten Social Security’s insolvency, according to a recent report by the nonpartisan Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget. —

William Gavin, Quartz, 30 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for smorgasbord