apothecary

noun

apoth·​e·​cary ə-ˈpä-thə-ˌker-ē 

-ˌke-rē

plural apothecaries

1

: one who prepares and sells drugs or compounds for medicinal purposes

2

: pharmacy

Did you know?

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.

Synonyms of apothecary

• pharmacist

Examples of apothecary in a Sentence

in olden days the apothecary had few drugs that actually cured anything, most substances being little more than pain relievers

the historic village boasts an old-fashioned apothecary that's been there for almost a century and a half

Recent Examples on the Web

Her mother, a meticulous apothecary, left a notebook with deliberate mistakes. —Mary Ann Grossmann, Twin Cities, 5 Apr. 2026

In densely populated neighborhoods of flimsy wooden houses, charcoal braziers tumbled over, fuel tanks ruptured, combustible chemicals in apothecaries exploded, and high winds fanned the flames through alleys. —Joshua Hammer, The New York Review of Books, 19 Mar. 2026

Treatments, including massages and anti-aging therapies, incorporate skincare by Santa Maria Novella, the historic Florentine apothecary. —Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 18 Mar. 2026

Invented at Sazerac House in the late 19th century, the Sazerac cocktail originally consisted of French brandy (specifically Cognac), Peychaud’s Bitters (created by a New Orleans apothecary in the 1830s), sugar, and absinthe. —Taylor Tobin, Southern Living, 26 Jan. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English apothecarie, apotecarie, pothecarie, borrowed from Anglo-French & Medieval Latin; Anglo-French apothecaire, ipotecaire, borrowed from Medieval Latin apotēcārius, apothēcārius, going back to Late Latin, "shopkeeper," from Latin apothēca "storeroom, storehouse, repository" (borrowed from Greek apothḗkē, from apothē-, variant stem of apotithénai "to put away, stow away" —from apo- apo- + tithénai "to put, place"— + -kē, noun suffix) + -ārius -ary entry 1 — more at do entry 1

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for apothecary

• accretionary
• bicentenary
• certiorari
• concessionary
• concretionary
• confectionary
• confectionery
• constabulary
• contemporary
• deflationary
• depositary
• disciplinary

Kids Definition

apothecary

noun

apoth·​e·​cary ə-ˈpäth-ə-ˌker-ē 

plural apothecaries

: druggist

Medical Definition

apothecary

noun

apoth·​e·​cary ə-ˈpäth-ə-ˌker-ē 

plural apothecaries

1

: a person who prepares and sells drugs or compounds for medicinal purposes : druggist, pharmacist

2

: pharmacy sense 2a