1
a
: a place where animals are kept and trained especially for exhibition
b
: a collection of wild or foreign animals kept especially for exhibition
2
: a varied mixture
a menagerie of comedians—
TV Guide
TV GuideA menagerie of grotesque statues stood in the garden.
Did you know?
Back in the days of Middle French, ménagerie meant "the management of a household or farm" or "a place where animals are tended." When English speakers adopted menagerie in the 1600s, they applied it specifically to places where wild and often also foreign animals were kept and trained for exhibition, as well as to the animals so kept. This second meaning was eventually generalized to refer to any varied mixture, especially one that includes things that are strange or foreign to one's experience.
Synonyms
- agglomerate
- agglomeration
- alphabet soup
- assortment
- botch
- clutter
- collage
- crazy quilt
- farrago
- gallimaufry
- grab bag
- gumbo
- hash
- hodgepodge
- hotchpotch
- jambalaya
- jumble
- jungle
- litter
- macédoine
- medley
- mélange
- miscellanea
- miscellany
- mishmash
- mixed bag
- montage
- motley
- muddle
- olio
- olla podrida
- omnium-gatherum
- pastiche
- patchwork
- patchwork quilt
- potpourri
- ragbag
- ragout
- rummage
- salad
- salmagundi
- scramble
- shuffle
- smorgasbord
- stew
- tumble
- variety
- welter
Examples of menagerie in a Sentence
a menagerie of rare creatures
the living room is eclectically furnished with a menagerie of garage-sale finds
Recent Examples on the Web
Overhead, a menagerie of developmental detachable toys, including a wiggly octopus, chiming turtle with mirror, crinkly sea star, squeaker crab, and chiming manta ray beckon little hands and feet and promote hand-eye coordination.
—Pamela Brill, Parents, 24 Oct. 2024
Usually, histories of life introduce us to creatures in sequence, showing how Earth’s menagerie has changed with time.
—Joshua Rothman, The New Yorker, 3 Sep. 2024
One of Michele’s odder collections is his menagerie of ceramic pugs, some of which date back to the 1700s.
—Hannah Malach, WWD, 27 Sep. 2024
Yet his squishy menagerie has particularly captivated the internet, especially as videos of stars like A$AP Rocky and Jacob Elordi relaxing in the comfy creations have gone viral on Tiktok.
—Elise Taylor, Vogue, 22 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for menagerie 
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Pamela Brill, Parents, 24 Oct. 2024
Usually, histories of life introduce us to creatures in sequence, showing how Earth’s menagerie has changed with time.
—Joshua Rothman, The New Yorker, 3 Sep. 2024
One of Michele’s odder collections is his menagerie of ceramic pugs, some of which date back to the 1700s.
—Hannah Malach, WWD, 27 Sep. 2024
Yet his squishy menagerie has particularly captivated the internet, especially as videos of stars like A$AP Rocky and Jacob Elordi relaxing in the comfy creations have gone viral on Tiktok.
—Elise Taylor, Vogue, 22 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for menagerie
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Dictionary Entries Near menagerie
Cite this Entry
“Menagerie.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/menagerie. Accessed 29 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
menagerie
noun
me·nag·er·ie
mə-ˈnaj-(ə-)rē 
also -ˈnazh-
1
: a place where animals are kept and trained especially for exhibition
2
: a collection of wild or foreign animals kept especially for exhibition
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