cornucopia

American  

[kawr-nuh-koh-pee-uh, -nyuh-] / ˌkɔr nəˈkoʊ pi ə, -nyə- /

noun

1. Classical Mythology. a horn containing food, drink, etc., in endless supply, said to have been a horn of the goat Amalthaea.

2. a representation of this horn, used as a symbol of abundance.

3. an abundant, overflowing supply.

4. a horn-shaped or conical receptacle or ornament.

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cornucopia British  

/ ˌkɔːnjʊˈkəʊpɪə /

noun

1. Greek myth the horn of Amalthea, the goat that suckled Zeus

2. a representation of such a horn in painting, sculpture, etc, overflowing with fruit, vegetables, etc; horn of plenty

3. a great abundance; overflowing supply

4. a horn-shaped container

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Usage

What is a cornucopia? Cornucopia refers to an abundance or an overflowing supply, as in Santa Claus’ workshop has a cornucopia of toys, everything from alphabet blocks to stuffed zebras.  A cornucopia is a horned-shaped container filled with food or a decoration resembling this. You might commonly see images of a straw cornucopia with fruits and vegetables in it around Thanksgiving. The original cornucopia comes from Greek mythology. It was an empty goat horn that spilled out an endless supply of food and drink. The adjective cornucopian describes something related to a cornucopia, usually a large amount of something, as in The warehouse was stocked with a cornucopian amount of food and drinks. Example: We were amazed by the cornucopia of foods and desserts available at the bustling marketplace. 

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• cornucopiate
  adjective
• cornucopian
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of cornucopia

First recorded in 1585–95; from Late Latin cornū cōpiae “horn of plenty,” from Latin cornū “horn” + cōpiae (genitive singular of cōpia “abundance”); see origin at horn, cornu, copious

Explanation

A grocery store with a large selection of fruits and vegetables could be said to have a cornucopia of produce. A cornucopia is a lot of good stuff. Around Thanksgiving in the United States, you'll often see cornucopias or horn-shaped baskets filled with fruit and other goodies as centerpieces. Originally, a cornucopia was a goat's horn filled with corn and fruit to symbolize plenty. Nowadays, a cornucopia is probably made of some kind of plaster or wicker, but it still symbolizes the same thing — a good harvest season.

Example Sentences

The Cornucopia has an organic egg scorecard, which ranks the quality of organic egg brands, taking into account items including feed, flock size, animal welfare, and farmer transparency.

From National Geographic • Sep. 22, 2023

Besides the lodge, which was listed for sale for a time for $7.9 million, the Dreisbachs own other businesses, too, including the Cornucopia Cafe in Grantsville.

From Washington Post • Aug. 19, 2022

The Icelandic artist on re-launching her Cornucopia tour in the middle of the Omicron surge, and the joys of jumping up and down on your living room sofa.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 27, 2022

The day after the wedding, the couple were joined by family and friends for a cruise down the East River aboard the Cornucopia Cruise Line yacht Princess, to watch the fireworks.

From New York Times • Aug. 6, 2021

The fighting must have finally stopped at the Cornucopia.

From "The Hunger Games" by Suzanne Collins

Related Words

• abundance
• affluence
• cash
• property
• prosperity
• revenue
• riches
• richness
• security
• treasure
• worth