smorgasbord

Swedish smör·gås·bord

[smawr-guhs-bawrd, -bohrd, shmawr-]

noun

1. a buffet meal of various hot and cold hors d'oeuvres, salads, casserole dishes, meats, cheeses, etc.

2. an extensive array or variety.

   The company has a smorgasbord of employee benefits.

smorgasbord

/ ˈsmɜː-, ˈsmɔːɡəsˌbɔːd /

noun

1. a variety of cold or hot savoury dishes, such as pâté, smoked salmon, etc, served in Scandinavia as hors d'oeuvres or as a buffet meal

Word History and Origins

Origin of smorgasbord¹

First recorded in 1875–80; from Swedish smörgåsbord, equivalent to smörgås “(slice of) bread and butter, sandwich,” from smör “butter”; ( smear ( def. ) ) + gås “goose, (dialect) lump of fat or butter” ( goose ( def. ) ) + bord “table” ( board ( def. ) )

Word History and Origins

Origin of smorgasbord¹

Swedish, from smörgås sandwich + bord table

Example Sentences

Autism also has been defined ever more broadly over the years — indeed, it’s seen today as a smorgasbord of conditions summed up as “autism spectrum disorder. “

Read more on Los Angeles Times

But unlike those massive growers who typically focus on just one or two of the most popular red varieties, Weidner’s offers a smorgasbord of choices.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

The Sheridan-verse is a smorgasbord of familiar actors in unexpected settings.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

But in case you needed yet another reminder that our domestic politics remains a smorgasbord of competitiveness and unpredictability, the SNP is the latest case study.

Read more on BBC

As players led a brawny ape and a cartwheeling monkey through jungles, ancient ruins and snowscapes, they were treated to a musical smorgasbord of atmospheric tunes.

Read more on New York Times

Related Words

• array 
• assortment 
• hodgepodge 
• mishmash