bodega

noun

bo·​de·​ga bō-ˈdā-gə How to pronounce bodega (audio)
1
: a storehouse for maturing wine
2
3
: a usually small grocery store in an urban area
specifically : one specializing in Hispanic groceries

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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

Recent Examples on the Web Kassim was the owner of the bodega Throop Farm Market, which was not authorized to process SNAP transactions. USA TODAY, 28 Feb. 2024 Prosecutors alleged that the bodega stole about $60 and facilitated the misuse of $214 in SNAP benefits. USA TODAY, 28 Feb. 2024 There are artists’ studios in pretty much every neighborhood of every borough, ingrained in the city’s architecture unlike anything else but bodegas and pizzerias. M.h. Miller Miranda Barnes, New York Times, 22 Feb. 2024 What about the weed-selling bodegas and trucks that had been sprouting up across the city throughout the summer? Jia Tolentino, The New Yorker, 19 Feb. 2024 The spicy chip line shared a mysterious picture of its unrevealed spokesperson, which shows the celeb holding a bag of Doritos Dinamita chips in a bodega with their back turned to the camera, obscuring their face. Wesley Stenzel, EW.com, 16 Jan. 2024 The venue is a mash-up of bodega, bar, and restaurant with a Korean-Mexican fusion menu. Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 20 Dec. 2023 As far as amenities, there are bathrooms, showers, dressing rooms, and lockers available to use, along with souvenir shops and small bodegas. Evie Carrick, Travel + Leisure, 12 Dec. 2023 New York City will keep the convenience of late-night food delivery and bodegas on every street corner. Jiji Lee, The New Yorker, 3 Dec. 2023

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.

Word History

Etymology

Spanish, from Latin apotheca storehouse — more at apothecary

First Known Use

1656, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of bodega was in 1656

Dictionary Entries Near bodega

Cite this Entry

“Bodega.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bodega. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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