potpourri

American  

[poh-poo-ree, poh-poo-ree] / ˌpoʊ pʊˈri, ˈpoʊ pʊˌri /

noun

1. a mixture of dried petals of roses or other flowers with spices, kept in a jar for their fragrance.

2. a musical medley.

3. a collection of miscellaneous literary extracts.

4. any mixture, especially of unrelated objects, subjects, etc.

   Synonyms:

   patchwork, mishmash, hodgepodge, pastiche

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potpourri British  

/ ˌpəʊˈpʊərɪ /

noun

1. a collection of mixed flower petals dried and preserved in a pot to scent the air

2. a collection of unrelated or disparate items; miscellany

3. a medley of popular tunes

4. a stew of meat and vegetables

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Etymology

Origin of potpourri

1605–15; < French: literally, rotten pot, translation of Spanish olla podrida olla podrida; pot ¹, putrid

Example Sentences

What results is a fragrant potpourri of verse fragments and computer-generated texts—which, to my knowledge, Mr. Ismailov has written himself, though uncertainty is part of the game.

From The Wall Street Journal

After dropping out of college in 2001, he spent the next couple of decades in a potpourri of roles: produce-company account manager, stay-at-home dad, podcast host, manager of an Outback Steakhouse.

From The Wall Street Journal

Reddit has a large audience that religiously visits the service to discuss a potpourri of subjects that range from silly memes to existential worries, as well as get recommendations from like-minded people.

From Seattle Times

This 17.5-ounce spray bottle holds an unspecified watery purple liquid that smells like potpourri, and the bottle’s label claims it repels Barbarians on contact.

From Los Angeles Times

Great Wolf Lodge is featuring a Pumpkin Spice Suite at five of its resorts this fall, decked out with potpourri, pumpkin throw pillows and bottomless pumpkin spice lattes.

From Washington Times