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menagerie

 - 3 dictionary results

me⋅nag⋅er⋅ie

[muh-naj-uh-ree, -nazh-]
–noun
1. a collection of wild or unusual animals, esp. for exhibition.
2. a place where they are kept or exhibited.
3. an unusual and varied group of people.

Origin:
1705–15; < F: lit., housekeeping. See ménage, -ery
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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me·nag·er·ie   (mə-nāj'ə-rē, -nāzh'-)   
n.  
    1. A collection of live wild animals on exhibition.

    2. An enclosure in which wild animals are kept.

  1. A diverse or miscellaneous group.


[French ménagerie, from Old French mesnage, ménage; see ménage.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Word Origin & History

menagerie 
1712, "collection of wild animals kept in captivity," from Fr. ménagerie "housing for domestic animals," from O.Fr. menage (see menage).
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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