bodega

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noun bo·de·ga \ bō-ˈdā-gə \

Definition of bodega

1 :a storehouse for maturing wine

2 a :wineshop

b (1) :¹bar 5a

(2) :barroom

3 :a usually small grocery store in an urban area; specifically :one specializing in Hispanic groceries

Recent Examples of bodega from the Web

The mere thought of hanging out by the nearest bodega and flinging endless quips until the wee hours of the morning in Harlem no longer excites him.

— carl lamarre, Billboard, "Dave East Talks New EP 'Paranoia', Handling Fame & Collaborating With Drake," 16 Aug. 2017
In many U.S. cities, bodegas serve dinner in the form of chips and soda to low-income people living nearby who have no access to neighborhood supermarkets.

— max holleran, New Republic, "How Fast Food Chains Supersized Inequality," 2 Aug. 2017
On a scale of two-aisle bodega to Whole Foods Market, most city food-shopping options divide along economic class lines, with people generally sticking to their own neighborhoods when it’s time to feed their families.

— alfred lubrano, Philly.com, "Reading Terminal Market offers classy food to all classes," 12 July 2017
These include bodega-style grocery stores, salons and casual fitness options.

— ashley zlatopolsky, Detroit Free Press, "Detroit businesses see influx of customers, soaring rent," 5 July 2017
Wiretaps showed that de la Cruz was the organization's leader and ran the Farmington Avenue bodega used by the drug trafficking organization, according to the complaint.

— nicholas rondinone, courant.com, "Months-Long Drug Operation Nets 20 Kilos Heroin, Fentanyl Largely Packaged For Streets," 30 June 2017
Find a market, bodega, bakery or food shop of some kind.

— melinda crow, The Seattle Times, "10 reasons to go grocery shopping when you travel," 23 June 2017
On June 10, 2011, her 17-year-old son, Justin Reyes, and a friend were shot outside a North Philadelphia bodega at Sixth and Norris.

— helen ubiñas, Philly.com, "If you care about gun violence, meet me Thursday at the Art Museum steps," 14 June 2017
Shortly after his death, Lees held a vigil in the parking lot across the street from the bodega, begging anyone with information to step forward.

— helen ubiñas, Philly.com, "If you care about gun violence, meet me Thursday at the Art Museum steps," 14 June 2017

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.

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.