mélange

[ mey-lahnzh, -lahnj ]

noun

, plural mé·langes [mey-, lahnzh, -, lahn, -jiz].

1. a mixture; medley.

melange

/ meɪˈlɑːnʒ /

noun

1. a mixture; confusion
2. geology a totally disordered mixture of rocks of different shapes, sizes, ages, and origins

mélange

/ mā-länzh′ /

1. A metamorphic rock formation created from materials scraped off the top of a downward moving tectonic plate in a subduction zone. Mélanges occur where plates of oceanic crust subduct beneath plates of continental crust, as along the western coast of South America. They consist of intensely deformed marine sediments and ocean-floor basalts and are characterized by the lack of regular strata, the inclusion of fragments and blocks of various rock types, and the presence of minerals that form only under high pressure and low temperature conditions.

Word History and Origins

Origin of mélange¹

1645–55; < French; Old French meslance, equivalent to mesl ( er ) to mix ( meddle ) + -ance noun suffix ≪ Germanic -ingō -ing ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of mélange¹

C17: from French mêler to mix. See medley

Example Sentences

While Trump’s rally was a queasy melange of racist insults and frightening promises, Griffin’s show was a spectacle of raw, force-of-nature talent.

From Salon

Some members in the audience showed up in costume but none could compete with the wondrously weird mélange of butoh dance, shadow puppetry, ghosts of various varieties, nurses seeming straight out of horror films along with models, tormented and otherwise.

From Los Angeles Times

And indeed, little really happens in screenwriter Evan Johnson’s mélange of lowbrow humor and high-concept wit beyond the straight-faced delivery of bursts of ridiculous dialogue and weird encounters with the self-pleasuring bog people — and eventually, a glistening, car-sized brain.

From Los Angeles Times

Though competent, the flashy computed-generated effects give the impression of being recycled instead of uniquely designed for this lackluster mélange.

From Los Angeles Times

Teams are a mélange of locals and expats — some with college and minor league experience.

From Seattle Times

Related Words

• assortment
• hodgepodge
• mishmash