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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
Nicole Kliest, Vogue, 18 Oct. 2025
Best Shopping Shoreline Village Located in Rainbow Harbor, the waterfront Shoreline Village has a small collection of eccentric boutiques and clothing shops, such as the Village Hat Shop or the trendy Queen Mary Couture.
—Cu Fleshman, Travel + Leisure, 18 Oct. 2025
This is not about boutique clinics for the few.
—Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 18 Oct. 2025
This eight-room boutique hotel around the corner from the tranquil Piazza Farnese and just 10 minutes’ walk from the Christmas market in Piazza Navona was designed for lovers of design and wine—most of the staff here are sommeliers, and the in-room wine fridge can be stocked with your favorites.
—Sophie Friedman, AFAR Media, 18 Oct. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Boutique.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/boutique. Accessed 23 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
boutique
noun
from French boutique "shop"
Legal Definition
boutique
noun
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