shoptalk
noun
shop·talk
ˈshäp-ˌtȯk 
: the jargon or subject matter peculiar to an occupation or a special area of interest
Examples of shoptalk in a Sentence
There was a lot of shoptalk at the office party.
eventually, he got bored with the shoptalk of the nuclear engineers, which he barely understood
Recent Examples on the Web
These were often portraits of people at work—jockeys, preachers, movie stars—that showcase the indiscriminate pleasure Crews took in shoptalk.
—
Charlie Lee, Harpers Magazine, 18 June 2025
The house rule is that shoptalk is verboten on Saturdays.
—Sue Reilly, Peoplemag, 13 Feb. 2024
The numb shoptalk of consulates?
—Matthew Carey Salyer, Forbes, 23 Sep. 2021
In shoptalk, this is called the 5:2 diet.
—Mark Barna, Discover Magazine, 2 Mar. 2018
In between performances and shoptalk, Saul and Caprice are drawn into overlapping intrigues involving a dead child and an inner-beauty pageant.
—New York Times, 2 June 2022
The structure doesn’t mimic memory so much as the marathon conversations between Amis and Hitchens, some replicated here, that roved between history, gossip, craft, shoptalk.
—Parul Sehgal, New York Times, 20 Oct. 2020
But as at any industry gathering, shoptalk is hard to avoid.
—Michael M. Grynbaum, New York Times, 3 Feb. 2020
My mother was becoming increasingly wary of the stir-crazy shoptalk from a group of 40-year-old guys who were three trail beers away from skiing down the mountain to their deaths.
—Kaitlin Phillips, Vogue, 13 Feb. 2018
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Charlie Lee, Harpers Magazine, 18 June 2025
The house rule is that shoptalk is verboten on Saturdays.
—Sue Reilly, Peoplemag, 13 Feb. 2024
The numb shoptalk of consulates?
—Matthew Carey Salyer, Forbes, 23 Sep. 2021
In shoptalk, this is called the 5:2 diet.
—Mark Barna, Discover Magazine, 2 Mar. 2018
In between performances and shoptalk, Saul and Caprice are drawn into overlapping intrigues involving a dead child and an inner-beauty pageant.
—New York Times, 2 June 2022
The structure doesn’t mimic memory so much as the marathon conversations between Amis and Hitchens, some replicated here, that roved between history, gossip, craft, shoptalk.
—Parul Sehgal, New York Times, 20 Oct. 2020
But as at any industry gathering, shoptalk is hard to avoid.
—Michael M. Grynbaum, New York Times, 3 Feb. 2020
My mother was becoming increasingly wary of the stir-crazy shoptalk from a group of 40-year-old guys who were three trail beers away from skiing down the mountain to their deaths.
—Kaitlin Phillips, Vogue, 13 Feb. 2018
Cite this Entry
“Shoptalk.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shoptalk. Accessed 18 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
shoptalk
noun
shop·talk
ˈshäp-ˌtȯk
: talk about or related to one's work or special interests
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share