exotica
exotica Lexical Profile
exotica Game Scores & Validity
• noun
Objects, customs, or cultural artifacts that are considered strikingly unusual, unfamiliar, or of foreign origin.
"The antique shop was filled with rare curiosities and tropical exotica collected from across the Pacific."
A mid-20th-century genre of easy-listening lounge music characterized by lush orchestral arrangements, birdcalls, and percussion intended to evoke an idealized tropical paradise.
"Mid-century exotica records by composers like Martin Denny and Les Baxter remain popular among vinyl collectors."
Word Nuance & Usage
When referring to a collection of strange or foreign objects, 'exotica' is morphologically a neuter plural and often takes a plural verb, though it is always singular when referring to the musical genre.
• Rhymes for exotica
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Borrowed in the early 20th century from Latin exotica, the neuter plural of exoticus ('foreign'), itself derived from Ancient Greek exotikos ('from the outside').