grocery

noun

gro·​cery ˈgrōs-rē 

ˈgrō-sə-;

ˈgrōsh-rē 

plural groceries

1

groceries plural : the food and supplies sold by a grocer

—usually singular in British usage

2

: a grocer's store

Examples of grocery in a Sentence

She stopped to pick up some groceries for supper.

Recent Examples on the Web

Legend has it that during World War II an Italian grocery shop in New London got an order for hundreds of hero sandwiches from a local Navy submarine base. —Ashley Craig, Hartford Courant, 9 Aug. 2025

The rising price of groceries can be a huge burden on the monthly budget. —Maryal Miller Carter, USA Today, 9 Aug. 2025

Google Maps integrates with services like Instacart for grocery delivery and Lyft for getting a ride. —PC Magazine, 9 Aug. 2025

Each of the nine women put in at least $5,000 in starting capital and devotes at least 16 hours per week to running the grocery and deli, which has its own drive-in garage and shopping carts. —Frederick Melo, Twin Cities, 9 Aug. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English grocerye, grosery "merchandise sold by wholesalers, the Grocers' Company of London," borrowed from Anglo-French grocerie, groserie, from groser "wholesale dealer in preserved foods, spices, wine, etc." + -ie -y entry 2 — more at grocer

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing grocery

• do (one's) grocery shopping
• go grocery shopping
• grocery bag
• grocery cart
• grocery list
• grocery store

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Kids Definition

grocery

noun

gro·​cery ˈgrōs-(ə-)rē 

plural groceries

1

plural : food sold by a grocer

went out to buy the groceries

2

: a grocer's store