menagerie

/məˈnæ(d)ʒəri/

/məˈnæʒəri/

Other forms: menageries

A menagerie (pronounced muh-NA-juh-ree, with NA as in "national") is a collection of live animals that people visit, study, or keep as pets. If you really want a backyard menagerie of farm animals after visiting the petting zoo, take a long sniff and remember what comes with them.

Pet lovers can have a menagerie of cats, dogs, and birds or exotic animals such as snakes, ferrets, and piranhas. Zoos have animal collections like the menagerie of sea creatures in the aquarium and the swinging apes in the jungle menagerie. And a science or medical center may have a menagerie of rats for studying behavior. If you want a menagerie, an ant farm is a good one: lots of animals in a container, always working, and never stinking up the place.

Definitions of menagerie

1. noun

   a collection of live animals for study or display
   type of:

   accumulation, aggregation, assemblage, collection

   several things grouped together or considered as a whole
2. noun

   the facility where wild animals are housed for exhibition
   synonyms: zoo, zoological garden

   type of:

   facility, installation

   a building or place that provides a particular service or is used for a particular industry