menagerie
Americannoun
-
a collection of wild or unusual animals, especially for exhibition.
-
a place where they are kept or exhibited.
-
an unusual and varied group of people.
noun
-
a collection of wild animals kept for exhibition
-
the place where such animals are housed
Etymology
Origin of menagerie
1705–15; < French: literally, housekeeping. See ménage, -ery
Explanation
A menagerie (pronounced muh-NA-juh-ree, with NA as in "national") is a collection of live animals that people visit, study, or keep as pets. If you really want a backyard menagerie of farm animals after visiting the petting zoo, take a long sniff and remember what comes with them. Pet lovers can have a menagerie of cats, dogs, and birds or exotic animals such as snakes, ferrets, and piranhas. Zoos have animal collections like the menagerie of sea creatures in the aquarium and the swinging apes in the jungle menagerie. And a science or medical center may have a menagerie of rats for studying behavior. If you want a menagerie, an ant farm is a good one: lots of animals in a container, always working, and never stinking up the place.
Vocabulary lists containing menagerie
Life of Pi
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
100 SAT Words Beginning with "M"
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
"Wild Animals Aren't Pets" and "Let People Own Exotic Animals"
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
For example, “Guilty Creatures: A Menagerie of Mysteries,” edited by the redoubtable Martin Edwards, assembles stories in which the crime involves some kind of animal.
From Washington Post • Dec. 8, 2022
I felt that connection to Tennessee often doing "The Glass Menagerie."
From Salon • Jun. 19, 2021
Sedgwick combined the quirky, upper-crust verve of Katharine Hepburn in Bringing Up Baby with the wounded-bird appeal of the Laura character in The Glass Menagerie.
From The Guardian • Feb. 16, 2020
Cirque Mechanics: 42ft — A Menagerie of Mechanical Marvels Acrobats, aerialists, cyclists, etc., perform.
From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 31, 2020
Then it had been getting free of Tante Heleen and the Menagerie, and after that, surviving each day, getting a little stronger with every morning.
From "Six of Crows" by Leigh Bardugo
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
