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menagerie

2 synonyms and 0 antonyms for menagerie, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.

Noun — A collection of wild or exotic animals kept for display, especially historically by wealthy owners as a private forerunner to the modern zoo.

Synonyms

Rare, literary or technical

Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.

zoo zoological garden

How to use menagerie

The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.

a menagerie of animals private menagerie

Etymology

From French ménagerie, from ménager ("to keep house") — originally covering the care of household animals before narrowing to mean a collection of wild ones.

Full origin of menagerie →

Frequently asked questions

What does “menagerie” mean?

The word “menagerie” means a collection of wild or exotic animals kept for display, especially historically by wealthy owners as a private forerunner to the modern zoo. In plain terms, a collection of animals on show, or loosely, any odd mixed bunch of things or people.

How do you pronounce “menagerie”?

“Menagerie” is pronounced muh-NAD-zhuh-rih (/məˈnædʒəri/ in IPA).

How do you use “menagerie” in a sentence?

Here is “menagerie” used in a sentence: “The duke kept a menagerie of lions and peacocks on his estate.”

What part of speech is “menagerie”?

“Menagerie” is a noun.

Where does the word “menagerie” come from?

The word “menagerie” comes from French. From French ménagerie, from ménager ("to keep house") — originally covering the care of household animals before narrowing to mean a collection of wild ones.

How many meanings does “menagerie” have?

“Menagerie” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a collection of wild or exotic animals kept for display, especially historically by wealthy owners as a private forerunner to the modern zoo.

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Synonyms and antonyms from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA.