Potpourri (pronounced “poe-purr-EE”) is a mixture of dried flower petals, herbs, and spices kept in a bowl or jar to make a room smell pleasant. Before modern air fresheners existed, people would gather rose petals, lavender, cinnamon sticks, and other fragrant materials, dry them out, and display them in decorative containers. The mixture would release a gentle, natural scent that could last for months.

The word comes from French, where it literally means something like “rotten pot” or “stewpot,” which sounds unappealing but refers to the pot where ingredients were mixed and left to develop their scent. Today you might find potpourri in gift shops, craft stores, or in a bathroom at home.

The word has taken on a second meaning: any miscellaneous mixture or assortment of different things. A variety show featuring juggling, magic tricks, singing, and comedy acts could be called a potpourri of entertainment. If your teacher assigns a worksheet with math problems, word puzzles, and science questions all mixed together, that's a potpourri of exercises. When someone describes a book as “a potpourri of stories and essays,” they mean it contains a diverse collection rather than focusing on just one thing.