Definition of BOUTIQUE

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 boutique in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The restaurant, which was filled with valuable baseball memorabilia, was set for demolition to make way for a boutique hotel. — Lauren Saria, azcentral, "Here are the biggest Arizona restaurant closings of 2019 so far," 8 June 2019 To her surprise, the man came back a few days later having sold around 400 pieces to big stores such as Bendel’s and other smaller downtown boutiques. — Sara Radin, Teen Vogue, "Designer Cynthia Rowley Accepted an Award at SCAD for Her Major Contributions to the Fashion Industry," 16 May 2019 Luxury guests increasingly expect high-end dining at their hotels, but the economics of running a traditional Michelin-caliber restaurant don’t always work, particularly for smaller boutiques that don’t have high guest volumes. — Alina Dizik, WSJ, "We’d Like to Eat in the Middle of the Ocean Tonight," 29 Dec. 2018 Trine’s brand, Amigo Modern, creates modern wire-frame furniture in Los Angeles County and sells wholesale to small boutiques, direct to consumers online, and through a partnership with West Elm. — Diana Budds, Curbed, "How Trump’s tariffs are affecting the furniture industry," 7 Aug. 2018 In a radical about-turn, Chanel — founded by Coco Chanel, an aspiring actress and seamstress, with the opening of a small millinery boutique in Paris in 1910 — released its annual results on Thursday for the first time in its 108-year history. — Elizabeth Paton, New York Times, "Chanel Publishes Annual Results for First Time in 108 Years," 21 June 2018 Its main street, Kane Concourse, is an extension of 96th Street off Collins Avenue and is filled with restaurants, small boutiques, yoga studios, jewelry stores, unique shops, houses of worship, parks, our town hall, police station and much more. — Alexandra C. Peters-rutten, miamiherald, "There is no better place to live and invest than Bay Harbor Islands in South Florida | Miami Herald," 6 Apr. 2018 Among those: Middle Eastern restaurant Kabob Grill, the coffee shop Dilworth Espresso (also called Kenilworth Espresso) and the Bag Lady, a small women's boutique. — Kathleen Purvis, charlotteobserver, "Dilworth's Kenilworth Commons loses another small business | Charlotte Observer," 29 Mar. 2018 Where to Stay In Salesas, five-star boutique hotels and designer apartments blend into the neighborhood’s facades rather than overpower them. — Elizabeth Wellington, Vogue, "Plan a Summer Stay in Salesas, Madrid’s Smallest Neighborhood," 25 May 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'boutique.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.