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

After ICE showed up at a bodega in Reading, Pérez got a call from one of his congregants who lived a town over. — Jack Herrera, New Yorker, 14 July 2026

The most recent example lies with none other than New York’s current leader, Zohran Mamdani, who arrived as an elementary-schooler and grew up wealthy on Riverside Drive but understands innately how to talk Knicks and the right bodega order. — Steven Zeitchik, HollywoodReporter, 3 July 2026

My absolute favorite variety is the hard-to-find passion fruit (tart, tangy, and fresh), but my bodega reliably carries Alphonso mango (a very close 2nd place with a honeyed-peach taste). — Alaina Chou, Bon Appetit Magazine, 30 June 2026

An immigrant from the Dominican Republic, Quezada had toiled 18 hours a day running a bodega in New Jersey. — Daniel De Visé, USA Today, 28 June 2026

Word History

Etymology

Spanish, from Latin apotheca storehouse — more at apothecary

First Known Use

1656, in the meaning defined at sense 1