Word of the Day: Miscellany

Miscellany

[MIH-sə-leh-nee]

Part of speech: noun

Origin: Latin, late 16th century

1.A group or collection of different items; a mixture.

2.A book containing a collection of pieces of writing by different authors.

Examples of miscellany in a sentence

"There's just a bunch of miscellany in the attic — nothing valuable."

"My poem will be published in an upcoming volume of miscellany."

About Miscellany

From Latin, "miscellanea" is the plural noun for miscellaneous items. French borrowed it for "miscellanées," and English uses "miscellany" as a charming description for a collection of items that don't deserve to be called junk.

Did you Know?

As a publishing term, "miscellany" describes a volume that collects work from different authors or sources. It could even be a novelty book gathering trivia or bits of memorabilia. Miscellaneous writing and knowledge can be gathered in a miscellany.