1 gallimaufries | Definition of gallimaufries
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gallimaufry

noun
gal·​li·​mau·​fry | \ ËŒga-lÉ™-ˈmȯ-frÄ“ How to pronounce gallimaufry (audio) \
plural gallimaufries

Definition of gallimaufry

: hodgepodge a gallimaufry of opinions
Synonyms Did You Know? More Example Sentences Learn More about gallimaufry

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Did You Know?

If the word gallimaufry doesn't make your mouth water, it may be because you don't know its history. In the 16th century, Middle-French speaking cooks made a meat stew called "galimafree." It must have been a varied dish, because English speakers chose its name for any mix or jumble of things. If "gallimaufry" isn't to your taste, season your speech with one of its synonyms: "hash" (which can be a muddle or chopped meat and potatoes), "hotchpotch" (a stew or a hodgepodge), or "potpourri" (another stew turned medley).

Examples of gallimaufry in a Sentence

the collection is a gallimaufry of poems, essays, and short stories that have no apparent unifying theme

Recent Examples on the Web

 As a directing-writing team, the Wachowskis added fashionable academic flavor by referencing cultural theorist Jean Baudrillard, which made their juvenile gallimaufry (including vague biblical allusions) seem highbrow. — Armond White, National Review, "Is The Matrix the Conservative’s Star Wars?," 30 Aug. 2019 The main text is laced through a gallimaufry of maps, photos, captions and sidebars, and rendered mostly in flat prose. — David Greenberg, New York Times, "The Vietnam War Then and Now," 14 Sep. 2017 Welcome to the weekend miscellany, so named because gallimaufry is too difficult to spell: Maybe Ann Coulter was too quick to give up on Berkeley. — Gary Peterson, The Mercury News, "Peterson: Sounding off on Berkeley’s stellar ranking, the Dubs, the bridge and soda," 4 May 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'gallimaufry.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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First Known Use of gallimaufry

circa 1556, in the meaning defined above

History and Etymology for gallimaufry

borrowed from Middle French galimafree "stew made with various meats," earlier calimafree "kind of sauce," perhaps blend of galer "to squander in pleasures, have a good time" and Middle French dialect (Picard) mafrer "to gorge oneself," borrowed from Middle Dutch moffelen, maffelen "to work the jaws," of imitative origin — more at gallant entry 2

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Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for gallimaufry

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