Cornucopia: So Much of a Good Thing!

And now, Words and Their Stories, from VOA Learning English.

On this program, we explore words and expressions in the English language. We give examples and notes on usage.

Today we talk about a word connected to Thanksgiving.

One of the traditional images of Thanksgiving is something called a cornucopia¹. This is a container shaped like a goat's horn. And it is overflowing² with many kinds of fruits and vegetables, such as gourds³, ears of corn, apples, and grapes. So, sometimes we call it a "horn of plenty."

Plenty means to have a large amount of something. For example, if you live in the land of plenty, you live in an area with lots of resources -- natural as well as social and financial.

But let's get back to the word cornucopia. This word describes a large amount or supply of something.

For example, the holiday table held a cornucopia of food and drink. Anything you could possibly want for dinner was available.

While the image of a cornucopia involves food, we use it for an abundance of good things. If something is abundant, there is plenty of it.

Here is another example.

A recent gathering⁴ offered a cornucopia of jobs from many industries. Representatives from more than 200 companies were there offering jobs. There was something for everyone!

Sometimes the word cornucopia means there is an inexhaustible supply of something. If you exhaust something you use it all up. So, if something is inexhaustible it seems limitless –- like a bottomless pit.

For example, a library is a cornucopia of knowledge. I could go into a library every day for the rest of my life and learn something new!

These examples have an abundance of good things: food, jobs, and knowledge. We do not use the word cornucopia to describe an abundance of bad things.

Also note, we often add a prepositional phrase to explain what type of cornucopia it is: a cornucopia of food, a cornucopia of jobs, or a cornucopia of knowledge.

Now, let's say that – for whatever reason – you are not a fan of the word cornucopia. In the examples with jobs and knowledge, you could easily replace cornucopia with wealth. In the food example, however, I would replace it with abundance or even bounty⁵.

And that's the end of this Words and Their Stories!

Don't forget to check out other programs at VOA Learning English. Our website is a cornucopia of English learning materials.

Words in This Story

plenty – n. a full supply; a large number or amount

abundance – n. a large quantity

inexhaustible – adj. incapable⁶ of being used up

wealth – n. abundant supply : a great amount of money or possessions

bounty – n. something given generously

1 cornucopia   

n.象征丰收的羊角

参考例句：

• The book is a cornucopia of information.书是知识的宝库。
• Our cornucopia is the human mind and heart.我们富足是由于人类的智慧和热情。

2 overflowing   

n. 溢出物,溢流 adj. 充沛的，充满的 动词overflow的现在分词形式

参考例句：

• The stands were overflowing with farm and sideline products. 集市上农副产品非常丰富。
• The milk is overflowing. 牛奶溢出来了。

3 gourds   

n.葫芦( gourd的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Dried gourds are sometimes used as ornaments. 干葫芦有时用作饰品。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The villagers use gourds for holding water. 村民们用葫芦盛水。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 gathering   

n.集会，聚会，聚集

参考例句：

• He called on Mr. White to speak at the gathering.他请怀特先生在集会上讲话。
• He is on the wing gathering material for his novels.他正忙于为他的小说收集资料。

5 bounty   

n.慷慨的赠予物，奖金；慷慨，大方；施与

参考例句：

• He is famous for his bounty to the poor.他因对穷人慷慨相助而出名。
• We received a bounty from the government.我们收到政府给予的一笔补助金。

6 incapable   

adj.无能力的，不能做某事的

参考例句：

• He would be incapable of committing such a cruel deed.他不会做出这么残忍的事。
• Computers are incapable of creative thought.计算机不会创造性地思维。