grocery

noun

gro·​cery ˈgrōs-rē 

ˈgrō-sə-;

ˈgrōsh-rē 

plural groceries

1

groceries plural : the food and supplies sold by a grocer

—usually singular in British usage

2

: a grocer's store

Examples of grocery in a Sentence

She stopped to pick up some groceries for supper.

Recent Examples on the Web

Shoppers have already started spotting Pumpkin Caramel Kringles in the weekly ALDI Finds section for $7, compared to the $10 price tag at Trader Joe’s, making this indulgent treat even more tempting to grab on your next grocery run. —Elizabeth Fogarty, Better Homes & Gardens, 26 Sep. 2025

Gappy grew up in the grocery business and worked in every department, from stocking shelves to working in the meat department. —Susan Selasky, Freep.com, 26 Sep. 2025

The 34-year-old mother of three from San Jose even holds playdates at Costco with the kids piled in one cart, groceries in another. —Jessica Guynn, USA Today, 26 Sep. 2025

Since then, Prime has ballooned into a multi-pronged service that offers streaming entertainment, grocery delivery, fuel and food delivery perks, as well as subscriber-only deals. —Jordan Valinsky, CNN Money, 25 Sep. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English grocerye, grosery "merchandise sold by wholesalers, the Grocers' Company of London," borrowed from Anglo-French grocerie, groserie, from groser "wholesale dealer in preserved foods, spices, wine, etc." + -ie -y entry 2 — more at grocer

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing grocery

• do (one's) grocery shopping
• go grocery shopping
• grocery bag
• grocery cart
• grocery list
• grocery store

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Kids Definition

grocery

noun

gro·​cery ˈgrōs-(ə-)rē 

plural groceries

1

plural : food sold by a grocer

went out to buy the groceries

2

: a grocer's store