melting pot

American  

noun

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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Etymology

Origin of melting pot

late Middle English word dating back to 1375–1425

Example Sentences

Part of having a melting pot of a clubhouse means missing some key ingredients for an extended period of spring training.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 14, 2026

Ellaird Bailey, 77, a retired technician at a telecommunications company, settled here with his wife in 1984 so his children could grow up in this "melting pot."

From Barron's • Jan. 4, 2026

In the melting pot that was Chicago, immigrant parents brought their children to him because he always found a way to communicate with them and care for their children, often for free.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 1, 2026

"The traditional way of making this material is by essentially a melting pot," Zhong said, referring to the Czochralski approach.

From Science Daily • Nov. 13, 2025

Thus, not only is China not a melting pot, but it seems absurd to ask how China became Chinese.

From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond

Related Words

• fusion
• pluralism