shop

1 of 2

noun

ˈshäp 

often attributive

1

: a handicraft establishment : atelier

2

a

: a building or room stocked with merchandise for sale : store

b

or less commonly shoppe

ˈshäp 

: a small retail establishment or a department in a large one offering a specified line of goods or services

a millinery shop

a sandwich shop

3

: a commercial establishment for the making or repair of goods or machinery

machine shop

repair shop

4

a

: a school laboratory equipped for industrial arts education

b

: the art or science of working with tools and machinery

5

a

: a business establishment : office

a public relations shop

b

: shoptalk

talking shop

shop

2 of 2

verb

shopped; shopping

intransitive verb

1

a

: to examine goods or services with intent to buy

b

: to hunt through a market in search of the best buy

2

: to make a search : hunt

shopping around for a better idea

transitive verb

1

British : to inform on : betray

2

: to examine the stock or offerings of

shop the stores for Christmas gift ideas

3

: to offer for consideration or acceptance

especially : to offer for sale or in a trade

—often used with around

shopping the manuscript around

Synonyms

Noun

• bazaar
• emporium
• store

Verb

• cast about (for)
• cast around (for)
• chase (down)
• forage (for)
• hunt
• look up
• pursue
• quest
• search (for or out)
• seek

Examples of shop in a Sentence

Noun

I took the car to the shop to get new brakes.

I am taking shop this semester.

I made a table in shop.

The wood shop is down the hall.

Verb

Where do you like to shop?

I like to shop at locally owned stores.

She is shopping for a new car.

Many people now shop online.

She's shopping her idea for a film.

His own mother shopped him to the police.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Nestled near a smog auto shop on Stockton Boulevard, a block south of Florin Road, sits Engawa Fusion, the city’s newest destination for an Instagramable sushi taco. —Brianna Taylor, Sacramento Bee, 5 May 2024

The 53,000-square-foot center in Springfield boasts 120 fuel pumps, a barbecue station, a jerky bar and a fudge shop, among other things. —Bill Lukitsch, Kansas City Star, 4 May 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English shoppe, from Old English sceoppa booth; akin to Old High German scopf shed

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1806, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 2

Phrases Containing shop

• a bull in a china shop
• agency shop
• all over the shop
• beauty shop
• betting shop
• body shop
• bucket shop
• charity shop
• chemist's shop
• chip shop
• chop shop
• closed shop
• close up shop
• coffee shop
• comparison shop
• cop shop
• gift shop
• head shop
• machine shop
• mind the shop
• open shop
• pro shop
• set up shop
• sex shop
• shop around
• shop-bought
• shop floor
• shop front
• shop-soiled
• shop steward
• shop the store
• shop the stores
• shut up shop
• souvenir shop
• specialist shop
• specialty shop
• speed shop
• talking shop
• talk shop
• tea shop
• thrift shop
• union shop
• window-shop

Kids Definition

shop

1 of 2 noun

ˈshäp 

1

: a place of business : office

2

a

: a building or room where goods are sold retail

b

also shoppe

ˈshäp 

: a small store offering a specialized line of goods

a gift shop

3

: a place where workers are doing a particular kind of work especially with machinery

a print shop

4

a

: a school laboratory equipped for industrial arts education

b

: industrial arts

take shop as a freshman

metal shop

5

: shoptalk

talk shop

shop

2 of 2 verb

shopped; shopping

1

: to visit shops for the purpose of looking over and buying goods

2

: to look for the best buy

shop around for a new car

shopper noun

Legal Definition

shop

noun

: a business establishment : a place of employment see also closed shop, open shop, union shop