Potpourri
/ˌpoʊ.pʊˈriː/noun
A mixture of dried flowers and spices used for fragrance, or any assorted mixture.
Did you know?Potpourri comes from French pot-pourri, originally a stew or mixed pot, and in one famous 17th-century sense it referred to a fragrant jar of dried petals and spices kept like a tiny domestic spell.
Etymological Timeline
Mid-16th Century
French
pot pourri
“a mixed stew or miscellaneous mixture”
17th Century
French
pot-pourri
“a jar of dried flowers, herbs, and spices kept for perfume”
17th Century
English
potpourri
“a medley or miscellaneous collection, especially of music or scents”
Modern English
English
potpourri
“a fragrant mixture of dried plant materials or any assorted mixture”