Menageries

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A collection or exhibition of live wild animals, typically displayed for public viewing in a zoo-like environment
2. A diverse assortment of animals or creatures, often showcasing various species from different habitats
3. A place where different types of animals are kept and cared for, usually for entertainment or educational purposes

Etymology: "Menageries" is the plural of "menagerie." The singular comes from French "ménagerie," which meant the management of a household and the livestock kept on a farm or estate. The French word derives from "ménage," a household, which passed through Old French "mesnage" from a Late Latin root connected to "mansio," a dwelling. The sense shifted when European courts began keeping exotic animals in enclosures for display. Once those royal collections became known, the French term came to mean a place for exhibiting strange creatures rather than one for raising domestic stock. English took the word in that later sense, so the plural now refers to collections of captive wild animals rather than to farm animals.

Synonyms: zoos, collections, exhibitions, displays, repositories