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Apothecaries, Bodegas, and Boutiques
Apothecary, bodega, and boutique may not look very similar, but they are all related both in meaning and in origin. Each of these words can be traced back to a Latin word for “storehouse” (apotheca), and each one refers in English to a retail establishment of some sort. Although bodega initially meant “a storehouse for wine,” it now most commonly refers to a grocery store in an urban area, especially one that specializes in Hispanic groceries. Boutique has also taken on new meanings: its first sense in English (“a small retail store”) is still current, but it now may also denote “a small company that offers highly specialized products or services.” Of the three words, apothecary has changed the least; it has gone from referring solely to the person who sells drugs or medicines to also naming the store where such goods are sold.
Examples of bodega in a Sentence
Bart Jansen, USA TODAY, 18 Apr. 2024
And despite insistences from Trump and his allies that having to attend the trial is an encumbrance designed to keep him off the campaign trail, the bodega visit was a good reminder that there’s still plenty of time in the week for Trump to campaign.
—Derek Hawkins, Washington Post, 18 Apr. 2024
By some counts, there are now as many as 2,000 bodegas, delis and smoke shops illegally selling cannabis products from the north Bronx to the outskirts of Queens — roughly 50 for every licensed seller.
—Nicholas Fandos, New York Times, 12 Apr. 2024
Every once in a while, there may have been a question related to a scene in the book, such as a NYC subway or bodega, but Tonya clearly did her research.
—Bridgette Bartlett Royall, Essence, 10 Apr. 2024
Inside each one, there is a bodega, a small shop with tropical fruit and other groceries.
—Kara Franker, Southern Living, 18 Mar. 2024
Max and Lola Bodega 1501 South Mint St. This bodega is South End’s latest dog-friendly establishment (after all, it is named for the owner’s two rescue pups), with a dog-friendly patio and backyard area.
—Katie Toussaint, Charlotte Observer, 31 Jan. 2024
But from the bodega, prosecutors said Kassim and Alqalisi engaged in thousands of fraudulent SNAP transactions between April and December 2022.
—USA TODAY, 28 Feb. 2024
The romance barely got out of first gear, though — Jake went to a bodega to pick up a pack of cigarettes and found the unflattering magazine cover, prompting Carrie to bolt.
—Liza Esquibias, Peoplemag, 9 Feb. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'bodega.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near bodega
Cite this Entry
“Bodega.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bodega. Accessed 23 Apr. 2024.
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