potpourri

• pot pourri

From French pot-pourri (“stew, potpourri”), a calque of Spanish olla podrida (“stew”, literally “rotten pot”). Doublet of olla podrida.

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˌpəʊ.pəˈɹiː/, /pəʊˈpʊə.ɹi/, /pəʊˈpɔː.ɹi/
• (US) IPA^(key): /ˌpoʊ.pʊˈɹiː/, /ˈpoʊ.pʊˌɹiː/

  • Audio (US):

    (file)

• Homophone: popery

potpourri (countable and uncountable, plural potpourris)

1. A collection of various things; an assortment, mixed bag or motley.
   • 1977 December 24, Richard Burns, “It Was a 'Big Splash' at The Aquarium”, in Gay Community News, volume 5, number 25, page 9:

     A convention of sorts, the evening was an exciting potpourri of education, entertainment and political consciousness.

2. An anthology of miscellaneous prose.
3. (music) A medley of songs or music.
4. A mixture of dried fragrant plant material, often in a decorative bowl, used to scent a room.
5. A ragout or stew of meat and vegetables.

• pot-au-feu

From French pot pourri (“rotten pot”), itself a calque from Spanish olla podrida.

• Audio:

  (file)

• Hyphenation: pot‧pour‧ri

potpourri m (plural potpourri's, diminutive potpourrietje n)

1. several songs strung together (medley)
2. a mixture of dried fragrant plant material, often in a decorative bowl, used to scent a room
3. a number of varied literary articles

• medley (1)

potpourri m (plural potpourris)

1. alternative spelling of pot-pourri