smorgasbord

/ˌsmɔrgəsˈbɔrd/

Other forms: smorgasbords

A smorgasbord is an assortment of different things — a magazine might feature a smorgasbord of stories on a wide variety of subjects.

Use the noun smorgasbord when you're talking about a selection of things, like a fabulous breakfast buffet, a long list of college classes you could take, or a motley group of camping companions. In Swedish, a smörgåsbord is a table full of different sandwich offerings. It literally means "butter goose table," from smörgås, which alternately means "bread and butter," and "bread and goose," plus bord, or "table."

Definitions of smorgasbord

1. noun

   a collection containing a variety of sorts of things
   “a veritable smorgasbord of religions”

   synonyms: assortment, medley, miscellanea, miscellany, mixed bag, mixture, motley, potpourri, salmagundi, variety

   types:

   grab bag

   an assortment of miscellaneous items

   witch's brew, witches' brew, witches' broth

   a fearsome mixture

   range

   a variety of different things or activities

   selection

   an assortment of things from which a choice can be made

   farrago, gallimaufry, hodgepodge, hotchpotch, melange, mingle-mangle, mishmash, oddments, odds and ends, omnium-gatherum, ragbag

   a motley assortment of things

   alphabet soup

   a confusing assortment

   sampler

   an assortment of various samples

   band

   a range of frequencies between two limits

   type of:

   accumulation, aggregation, assemblage, collection

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

   an assortment of foods starting with herring or smoked eel or salmon etc with bread and butter; then cheeses and eggs and pickled vegetables and aspics; finally hot foods; served as a buffet meal
   type of:

   buffet

   a meal set out on a buffet at which guests help themselves