potpourri
Americannoun
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a mixture of dried petals of roses or other flowers with spices, kept in a jar for their fragrance.
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a musical medley.
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a collection of miscellaneous literary extracts.
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any mixture, especially of unrelated objects, subjects, etc.
- Synonyms:
- patchwork, mishmash, hodgepodge, pastiche
noun
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a collection of mixed flower petals dried and preserved in a pot to scent the air
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a collection of unrelated or disparate items; miscellany
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a medley of popular tunes
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a stew of meat and vegetables
Etymology
Origin of potpourri
1605–15; < French: literally, rotten pot, translation of Spanish olla podrida olla podrida; see pot 1, putrid
Explanation
The noun potpourri can refer to a mixture or collection of seemingly unrelated items, an unusual assortment. You may own a potpourri of books — from classic literature to trashy novels and from Shakespeare's plays to comic books. The noun potpourri often refers to a scented mixture of spices and dried flowers that is usually kept in a decorative bowl or jar and used to perfume a room. What's interesting is that the name for this attractively fragrant mixture comes from the French phrase pot pourri, which literally means "rotten pot." The phrase was used to describe a stew. Clearly, some things translate better than others.
Vocabulary lists containing potpourri
The Hate U Give
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Speak
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English Words Derived from French, List 10
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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.
Northlane Capital’s other holdings include Potpourri Group, which operates the linen company Cuddledown.
From Reuters • Oct. 26, 2017
Northlane Capital’s other holdings include Potpourri Group, which operates the linen company Cuddledown.
From Reuters • Oct. 26, 2017
Potpourri was spread atop silk screens on Ping-Pong tables, then doused with unknown chemicals from a spray bottle.
From New York Times • Jul. 8, 2015
For Pandora Potpourri, that means going back to the lab.
From BusinessWeek • Jun. 16, 2011
"Potpourri," from "Mikado," for four hands, arranged by C. D. Blake.
From Donahoe's Magazine, Volume 15, No. 2, February 1886 by Various
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.
