bodega

noun

bo·de·ga bō-ˈdā-gə

: a storehouse for maturing wine

: wineshop

b(1)

: bar entry 1 sense 5a

(2)

: barroom

: 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 Sometimes bodega staff will adopt a kitten from a litter in need of homes. —

Claire Thornton, USA TODAY, 16 Aug. 2024 Guests — many with smartphones held high — entered through a hidden door in what was meant to be a Swedish bodega stocked with Ikea beverages, snacks and home products. —

Rosemary Feitelberg, WWD, 8 Aug. 2024 On June 22, a 41-year-old bodega worker was hit in the head with a sledgehammer in a dispute after a couple went into the shop and demanded their money back for a hookah. —

Josephine Stratman, New York Daily News, 30 July 2024 Alternatively, pick up some snacks and sandwiches from a local bodega for a picnic lunch in Manhattan’s world-famous Central Park or Brooklyn’s Domino Park along the water. —

Lauren Dana Ellman, Travel + Leisure, 22 July 2024 See all Example Sentences for bodega

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.