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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
Miles Socha, Footwear News, 13 Feb. 2026
Today’s luxury dressing rooms and closets are part boutique, part boudoir, part command center.
—Jennifer S. Li, Architectural Digest, 12 Feb. 2026
The comforting interiors are subtly accented by ultra-luxe touch points—Piaget, Cartier, and an in-house boutique experience featuring Hermès, IWC Schaffhausen, and high-end designs from local artists on select itineraries.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 11 Feb. 2026
Luminosa, set in the ground floor of a historic landmark reimagined as a boutique hotel, merges Italian-style dishes with Appalachian ingredients, helping to set the Asheville restaurant apart in its brief time on the dining scene.
—Usa Today Network, USA Today, 11 Feb. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Boutique.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/boutique. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
boutique
noun
from French boutique "shop"
Legal Definition
boutique
noun
