Definition of BODEGAS

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

Yesterday, Kendall Jenner popped into a bodega wearing as glamorous an outfit as any New York City corner store has ever seen. — Olivia Harrison, refinery29.com, "Coca-Cola Weighs In On Those Photos Of Kendall Jenner Drinking Orange Vanilla Coke," 20 June 2019 Sweet styles made with Pedro Ximénez wine grapes round out a bodega’s offerings. — Shana Clarke, Fortune, "A New Style of Winemaking Could Take Sherry Mainstream," 29 June 2019 Starting this month, seven Oatly ice cream flavors will hit bodega shelves across New York City. — Michelle Santiago Cortés, refinery29.com, "Oatly’s Oat Milk Ice Cream Is Here & It’s Seriously Delicious," 15 June 2019 More recently, Kendall Jenner was spotted at a New York City bodega sipping on Pepsi's biggest competitor and the photos are causing their own stir online. — Olivia Harrison, refinery29.com, "Coca-Cola Weighs In On Those Photos Of Kendall Jenner Drinking Orange Vanilla Coke," 20 June 2019 The San Diego Fire-Rescue Department arrived at about 12:45 a.m. in response to a call about a fire at the bodega on Beyer Boulevard just west of Alaquinas Drive. — Gary Warth, San Diego Union-Tribune, "Fire damages San Ysidro grocery," 19 June 2019 Nearby, parked outside of the neighborhood bodega with a few friends, Luis Ernesto Rodriguez, 28, sized up his day. — Azam Ahmed, New York Times, "Cubans Doubt a Change at the Top Will Bring Change at the Bottom," 21 Apr. 2018 Video surveillance showed Guzman-Feliz, who wanted to be a police officer, being dragged out of a Bronx bodega on his back by a group of men and then repeatedly punched and slashed by long knives and a machete. — Minyvonne Burke, NBC News, "Machete killing of Bronx teen in case of mistaken identity leads to five convictions," 15 June 2019 Miranda joins an already fleshed out cast that includes Marc Anthony as Sonny’s father and Anthony Ramos as bodega owner Usnavi — a role Miranda himself played on Broadway — while Straight Outta Compton‘s Corey Hawkins will play the role of Benny. — Ruth Kinane, EW.com, "Lin-Manuel Miranda joins the cast of his In The Heights movie adaptation," 14 June 2019

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.