Menagerie
/məˈnædʒ.ər.i/noun
A collection of captive wild animals kept for exhibition or study.
Did you know?Menagerie entered English through French in the 17th century, and its older French sense was tied to managing a household or estate—so the word’s animal-cage meaning grew out of the language of control and domestic power.
Etymological Timeline
Latin
Latin
manus
“hand”
Late Latin
Latin
manuāgium
“management, handling; a place for managing domestic affairs”
Old French
French
mesnagerie
“household management; the care of domestic animals”
17th Century
French
ménagerie
“a place where animals are kept”
17th Century
English
menagerie
“a collection of wild animals kept for exhibition”