melting pot

American  

noun

• melting pots
  plural

1. a pot in which metals or other substances are melted or fused.

2. a country, locality, or situation in which cultural assimilation results in blending the heritage and traditions of previously distinct ethnic groups.

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melting pot British  

noun

1. a pot in which metals or other substances are melted, esp in order to mix them

2. an area in which many races, ideas, etc, are mixed

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melting pot Cultural  

1. A term expressing the view that immigrants to the United States have been fused or melted into a single people.

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• melting pots
  plural

Etymology

Origin of melting pot

late Middle English word dating back to 1375–1425

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

melting pot

Israeli food isn’t the world’s only culinary melting pot, but it may be the most misunderstood.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 10, 2026

"It's covered in the names of influential people in the Midlands who mean a lot to people and who make the Midlands this magical melting pot that we have."

From BBC ● Sep. 25, 2026

The big, green lady in the harbor and the melting pot and all that.

From Salon ● Sep. 11, 2026

For centuries, this city has been a multiethnic melting pot where European and African, Muslim and Christian cultures converged, and coexisted mostly peacefully.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 2, 2026

With a grunt of disgust, Mr. Weiss scooped the lead blocks from their scaffold and threw them into the melting pot.

From "The City Beautiful" by Aden Polydoros

Related Words

• fusion
• pluralism