bookstore

noun

book·​store ˈbu̇k-ˌstȯr 

: a place of business where books are the main item offered for sale

called also bookshop

Examples of bookstore in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Barnes & Noble will open four new bookstores in the Chicago area by summertime, including a flagship location downtown on State Street, part of a national move to revive its brick-and-mortar retail presence. —Chicago Tribune, 7 Jan. 2026

In June 2023, Scott-Miller opened her brick-and-mortar bookstore, Liberation Station, in the downtown section of Raleigh, North Carolina—an intentional selection, because Black people were once forbidden from checking out books in the area’s library. —Essence, 7 Jan. 2026

All of this and more went through my head in that should-I-or-shouldn’t-I moment in the Santa Monica bookstore. —Kenneth Turan, The Atlantic, 7 Jan. 2026

Liis Studied feels like nesting, whether that’s on a pristine white couch with a fluffy blanket, under the covers in bed, or tucked away in the corner of a cozy bookstore. —Ariel Wodarcyk, InStyle, 6 Jan. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1760, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for bookstore

• abhor
• abor
• adore
• afore
• ardour
• ashore
• backdoor
• before
• candour
• centaur
• claymore
• decor

Kids Definition

bookstore

noun

book·​store -ˌstō(ə)r 

-ˌstȯ(ə)r

: a store that sells mainly books