smorgasbord

[ smawr-guhs-bawrd, -bohrd or, often, shmawr- ]
/ ˈsmɔr gəsˌbɔrd, -ˌboʊrd or, often, ˈʃmɔr- /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR smorgasbord ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

a buffet meal of various hot and cold hors d'oeuvres, salads, casserole dishes, meats, cheeses, etc.
an extensive array or variety: The company has a smorgasbord of employee benefits.

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Also smör·gås·bord [Swedish smœr-gaws-boord]. /Swedish ˈsmœr gɔsˌburd/.

Origin of smorgasbord

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

Words nearby smorgasbord

smooth-spoken, smooth sumac, smooth-talk, smooth-tongued, s'more, smorgasbord, smørrebrød, smorzando, smote, smother, smothered mate
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Words related to smorgasbord

buffet, hodgepodge, array, mishmash, assortment, jumble, choice, medley, collection, miscellany, salad bar

Example sentences from the Web for smorgasbord

British Dictionary definitions for smorgasbord

smorgasbord
/ (ˈsmɔːɡəsˌbɔːd, ˈsmɜː-) /

noun

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 Origin for smorgasbord

Swedish, from smörgås sandwich + bord table
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012