smorgasbord

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The Word of the Day for June 22 is: 

smorgasbord   \SMOR-gus-bord\   noun
     1 : a luncheon or supper buffet offering a variety of foods and dishes
    *2 : an often large heterogeneous mixture : melange

Example sentence: 
     With several new stores recently opening, the town's main street now offers a smorgasbord of shopping options.

Did you know?
      Although "smorgasbord" might make us think of a variety of foods, the Swedish word "smorgas" refers to a particular food item, an open sandwich or, alternatively, a slice of bread covered with butter, which is a staple of the traditional Swedish smorgasbord. (The word "smor" means "butter," and "gas" can mean "a lump of butter" as well as "goose.") "Smorgas" teamed up with the Swedish word "bord," meaning "table" or "board," to form "smorgasbord," which first appeared in English in the later part of the 19th century. By the mid-20th century "smorgasbord" was being used outside of food-related contexts to refer to something that comprises a mixture or assemblage of different parts.

*Indicates the sense illustrated in the example sentence.





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