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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
Steve Denning, Forbes.com, 19 Sep. 2025
She’s posted up like a bootleg seller on the streets of New York, went on the subway to sell the record, and even hosted a pop-up shop at a bodega to promote the LP.
—Tomás Mier, Rolling Stone, 15 Sep. 2025
The open-air shopping center has a grocery store, coffee shop (Java Java), a gourmet deli (The Station), and a grab-and-go beach bodega (The Co-Op).
—Lydia Mansel, Travel + Leisure, 2 Sep. 2025
Rose promoted the ice cream in grocery stores and bodegas by personally going to the stores to give out free samples.
—Victoria Edel, People.com, 1 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for bodega
Cite this Entry
“Bodega.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bodega. Accessed 25 Sep. 2025.
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