Merriam-Webster's Word Central

August 19, 2011

mélange (noun): \may-LAHNZH\
What does it mean?: : a mixture often of dissimilar elements
How do you use it?: The decorating style in Kara's bedroom is a mélange of white French Provincial, Sixties retro, and Asian influences, and she thinks the combination works well.
Are you a word wiz?: "Mélange" means "mixture," and we've got a mixed-up sentence problem. Only one of the sentences uses "mélange" correctly. Which one do you think it is?

A. The dessert was a concoction of cake and ice cream covered in mélange.

B. One of the symptoms of the virus is a general mélange.

C. The referees tried to control a mélange that broke out during the game.

D. Schools have a mélange of students with many different interests.

We tried to mix you up, but if you remembered that "mélange" means "mixture" and used a little common sense, you probably spotted choice D as the right answer. Schools have a mixture of students, and those students have a wide variety of different interests. English speakers started using "mélange" as a synonym of "mixture" in the 1600s, after borrowing the word from French. The French word derives from "mesler," a French verb used in the Middle Ages "to mix." By the way, a better choice for answer A would be "meringue," for answer B, "malaise," and for answer C, "melee." All three of those words also come from French.