Word of the Day Archive
Saturday February 9, 2008
menagerie \muh-NAJ-uh-ree; -NAZH-\ , noun:
1. A collection of wild or unusual animals, especially for exhibition.
2. An enclosure where wild or unusual animals are kept or exhibited.
3. A diverse or varied group.
No palace had such a fine menagerie, stocked with howler monkeys, hill mynahs and Moluccan cockatoos that eliminated any need for a wind-up Swiss alarm clock.
-- Pogo, "Life of Pi", Reviewer's Bookwatch, October 2004
Once, when he was too ill even to visit the zoo, Gerald was provided with a sort of substitute zoo of his own by the family butler, Jomen, who modelled a whole menagerie of animals -- rhinoceros, lion, tiger, antelope -- out of red laterite clay from the garden.
-- Douglas Botting, Gerald Durrell: The Authorized Biography
They must have been an amiable lot, however, for she was so obviously unprepared for the veritable menagerie of cabin passengers on the return voyage to New York.
-- Joan Druett, Hen Frigates
Leaner organizations may not have the infrastructure or a menagerie of specialists, but they are able to offer greater personal attention, accountability and economy.
-- Marc Diener, "Seeking counsel: how to find Mr. or Mrs. Right Esq", Entrepreneur, January 2003
Menagerie comes from French ménagerie, from Middle French, from menage, from Old French mesnage, "dwelling."
Dictionary.com Entry and Pronunciation for menagerie
