bodega

noun

bo·​de·​ga bō-ˈdā-gə 

1

: a storehouse for maturing wine

2

a

: wineshop

b(1)

: bar entry 1 sense 5a

(2)

: barroom

3

: a usually small grocery store in an urban area

specifically : one specializing in Hispanic groceries

Did you know?

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

Recent Examples on the Web

Today, one bodega owner has gotten really creative to incentive his younger customers to succeed in school. —Sam Woodward, USA Today, 17 Apr. 2026

As Holland tees up, the sequence begins with Peter Parker at his local bodega as Ned walks in to buy a beer and keg… all without noticing his one-time bestie, who is hunched in the corner. —Rebecca Rubin, Variety, 14 Apr. 2026

In San Francisco, a Waymo vehicle struck and killed a bodega cat in the city’s Mission District last fall, infuriating residents. —Jeremy Gorner, Chicago Tribune, 14 Apr. 2026

What’s the grossest bodega order? —Zach Schiffman, Curbed, 10 Apr. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Spanish, from Latin apotheca storehouse — more at apothecary

First Known Use

1656, in the meaning defined at sense 1