Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

smorgasbord

/ˈsmɔɹɡəsˌbɔɹd/

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.42 in modern English

Syllables: smor-gas-bord
IPA: /ˈsmɔɹɡəsˌbɔɹd/

17

Scrabble Score

11

Letters

3

Syllables

8

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

A Swedish-style buffet comprising a variety of cold sandwiches and other dishes; (by extension) any buffet with a wide selection of dishes.

noun

An abundant and diverse collection of things.

Example Sentences

"In the middle of the saloon they observed a small table set out with little dishes, containing bread and butter, sardines, pickled herrings, cheese, large baskets filled with rye biscuit, dark and untempting to Mabel's English eye, and the never failing brandy. Gathered around the smorgasbord were all the Swedes talking and eating most earnestly (all standing)."
"In carrying out the Swedish luxury theme, tasty Scandinavian food will be served from the Stratocruiser galley. The lower-deck cocktail bar will feature smorgasbord snacks and drinks."
"Cafeterias, buffets, chuck wagon service and smorgasbords are becoming increasingly popular food service methods."
"Generally, operations are primarily self-service if food or beverages are ordered or selected by a customer by a customer at one location and carried by the customer from such location to the customer's seat. For example, cafeteria lines, buffets, and smorgasbords are primarily self-service."
"It is a smorgasbord. That means that after you pay a certain amount of money for your meal you can eat anything you want, together with as much as you want. I remember the first time my folks took me to a smorgasbord. I had been in places where they serve you family-style before but never in a smorgasbord."
"The fame of the smörgåsbord (smorgasbord) is justly deserved. Using a vast array of dishes—everything from Baltic herring to smoked reindeer—the smorgasbord (never served in the evening) can be eaten either as hors d'oeuvres or as a meal in itself."

Etymology

Borrowed from Swedish smörgåsbord (“buffet with many small dishes; smorgasbord”), from smörgås (“sandwich”) + bord (“table”). Smörgås is from Swedish smör (“butter”) + gås (“goose”), a reference to pieces of butter which float to the surface of milk when churned.

Origin

Source language: Swedish

Word Breakdown

Root: *smer-, smör

Regional Pronunciation

American English: /ˈsmɔɹɡəsˌbɔɹd/
British English: /ˈsmɔːɡæs(ˌ)bɔːd/

Inflected Forms

smorgasbords (plural) smörgåsbord (alternative)

Phrases

A charcuterie is for snacking a smorgasbord is a full hearty meal

Frequently Paired Words

A charcuterie is for snacking a smorgasbord is a full hearty meal

Synonyms

assortment hodgepodge medley miscellany Whitman's sampler bouillabaisse bric-a-brac catch-all clamjamfrey cocktail rummage salad

Rhymes With

board record forward lord award toward afford ford sword ward reward ignored

Questions

How do you pronounce smorgasbord?: The recorded pronunciation is /ˈsmɔɹɡəsˌbɔɹd/.
What does smorgasbord mean?: A Swedish-style buffet comprising a variety of cold sandwiches and other dishes; (by extension) any buffet with a wide selection of dishes.
Where does smorgasbord come from?: It is traced to Swedish.

How to pronounce smorgasbord

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “smorgasbord”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/ˈsmɔɹɡəsˌbɔɹd/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
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