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
Yet the sequel also arrived the year after the first election of Donald Trump, a figure seemingly drawn from Lynch’s menagerie of babbling weirdos.
—Alison Herman, Variety, 16 Jan. 2025
And in the yard, there's a small menagerie of armatures, wireframes that form the base of sculptures: A manatee, a cow, an elephant, even a bear riding a motorcycle.
—Phaedra Trethan, USA TODAY, 11 Jan. 2025
While Prince Harry and Meghan's pack expanded with the third dog, their menagerie already included a rescue beagle!
—Janine Henni, People.com, 18 Dec. 2024
Madison's passion compelled her to volunteer at a local wildlife sanctuary and work part-time as a veterinary assistant, as well as work on members of her own menagerie.
—Rebecca Loroff, Journal Sentinel, 25 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for menagerie 
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Alison Herman, Variety, 16 Jan. 2025
And in the yard, there's a small menagerie of armatures, wireframes that form the base of sculptures: A manatee, a cow, an elephant, even a bear riding a motorcycle.
—Phaedra Trethan, USA TODAY, 11 Jan. 2025
While Prince Harry and Meghan's pack expanded with the third dog, their menagerie already included a rescue beagle!
—Janine Henni, People.com, 18 Dec. 2024
Madison's passion compelled her to volunteer at a local wildlife sanctuary and work part-time as a veterinary assistant, as well as work on members of her own menagerie.
—Rebecca Loroff, Journal Sentinel, 25 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for menagerie
Articles Related to menagerie
Dictionary Entries Near menagerie
Cite this Entry
“Menagerie.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/menagerie. Accessed 24 Jan. 2025.
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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