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

Spike Lee orchestrates Puerto Rican street parades, dazzling skyscraper shots, shouting Yankee fans in subways, bodega battles, freestyle rap roasts, high speed chases, gunfire dueling, and more to charge the story with grit and glory in the resolution. —Malik Peay, Essence, 13 Aug. 2025

Ahead of the commercial’s official reveal, Chalamet shared his own takes on payment etiquette exclusively with BHG—along with his go-to bodega order. —Bryce Jones, Better Homes & Gardens, 16 July 2025

While the traditional bodega is a convenience store, offering everyday essentials to customers, the real utility at Dainty is its tattoo service — with the culinary basics of a bodega. —Lyndsay C. Green, Freep.com, 1 Aug. 2025

Every restaurant, supermarket, bodega and gas station minimart should have one. —David J. Neal august 1, Miami Herald, 1 Aug. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Spanish, from Latin apotheca storehouse — more at apothecary

First Known Use

1656, in the meaning defined at sense 1