bodega

noun

bo·de·ga | \ bō-ˈdā-gə

Definition of bodega

1 : a storehouse for maturing wine

2a : 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

Apothecaries, Bodegas, and Boutiques Example Sentences Learn More about bodega

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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

Bleecker Street had been populated with antique stores, bodegas, independent clothing shops and dry cleaners. — Keiko Morris, WSJ, "Pop-Up Stores and Dive Bars: How a Property Developer Aims to Cure NYC’s Empty Storefronts," 30 Oct. 2018 And given that everything in the collection is priced between $18 and $55, there’ll be enough left in the budget to buy groceries at the bodega. — Liana Satenstein, Vogue, "Emily Ratajkowski Wants You to Wear Her New Underwear Collection to the Bodega," 6 Feb. 2019 Brooklyn bodega owner Manny Valdez knows there’s a change in the customers visiting his East New York store. — Melanie Grayce West, WSJ, "New York Helps Give Some of Its Iconic Bodegas a Makeover," 11 Aug. 2018 But those investigators have no legal authority to force a bodega owner or a property manager to hand over surveillance footage. — Joseph Goldstein, New York Times, "Police ‘Testilying’ Remains a Problem. Here Is How the Criminal Justice System Could Reduce It.," 22 Mar. 2018 Tschabalala Self, a New York artist currently doing a residency at the Studio Museum of Harlem, is planning to transform Thierry Goldberg’s booth into a makeshift bodega. — Kelly Crow, WSJ, "At Miami’s Art Fairs, a Somber Mood Sets In," 1 Dec. 2018 Even food trucks and bodegas take credit cards now. — Kevin Dupzyk, Popular Mechanics, "The Best Budgeting Apps For Finally Getting Your Expenses in Check," 15 Nov. 2018 That said, nearly every bodega has a restaurant offering lunch, and there are restaurants at The Vines and Casa de Uco that are open for dinner. — Todd Plummer, Condé Nast Traveler, "Itinerary: Wine Tasting in Argentina's Uco Valley," 11 Sep. 2018 Guzman-Feliz, according to investigators, had been in an argument with a group outside the bodega on East 183rd Street and was stabbed in the neck. — Nicole Darrah, Fox News, "13th suspect arrested in Bronx teen 'Junior' Guzman's killing, police says," 27 Aug. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'bodega.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.