WORD OF THE DAY
menagerie \mə-'naj-rē\, noun
1. A collection of live wild animals on exhibition; the enclosure where they are kept
2. A diverse or miscellaneous group
In Sacramento a crazed woman opened the cages of a circus menagerie for fear the animals might starve to death, and [was killed] by a lioness.
—Earth Abides, George R. Stewart, 1949.
From French ménagerie, derived from ménager ("to keep house"), household. Housekeeping used to include taking care of domestic animals.
Entry and Pronunciation for menagerie
Consider the above image that shows what an online dictionary entry may look like.
Based on this entry, which of the following sentences most accurately uses the word menagerie?
A.
The menagerie of students walked from room to room, unsure where to gather for their first class.
B.
Patricia was upset when she found her car's menagerie had been shattered and her tires slashed.
C.
The bright colors made Hannah's vision blurry and she began to feel a menagerie headache developing.
D.
Krista was excited when Kevin asked her to be his date at the homecoming menagerie dance.
1 answer
The sentence that most accurately uses the word "menagerie" is:
A. The menagerie of students walked from room to room, unsure where to gather for their first class.
This usage aligns with the second definition of "menagerie" as a diverse or miscellaneous group, referring to the group of students.
