shoptalk

noun

ˈshäp-ˌtȯk How to pronounce shoptalk (audio)
Definition of shoptalknext
as in terminology
the special terms or expressions of a particular group or field eventually, he got bored with the shoptalk of the nuclear engineers, which he barely understood

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of shoptalk 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 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 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shoptalk
  1. terminology
  2. vocabulary
  3. dialect
  4. language
  5. slang
Noun
  • When officials disagree, even if legitimate based on terminology, the general public can interpret that disagreement as evidence that officials do not have a solid understanding of the outbreak.
    — Omer Awan, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2026
  • But there’s an interesting conundrum that arises from the terminology itself.
    — Jennifer Donnelly, Scientific American, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of terminology
Noun
  • Kitchen grandmacore could show up in that vocabulary within a year.
    — Ashley Lynch, Sacbee.com, 3 Sep. 2026
  • Lowenstein told me that the evolving maps have drained the meaning from those Obama-era debates about the viability of a Palestinian state, forcing a revision of the vocabulary that American politicians use to talk about the conflict.
    — David D. Kirkpatrick, New Yorker, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of vocabulary
Noun
  • Owner and chef Stefania Marchesini, who fished professionally herself for 11 years, pays a premium to local fishermen, especially for soft-shell crabs known in the local dialect as moeche.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 2 Sep. 2026
  • What used to be two entirely separate compliance projects is starting to look like two dialects of the same emerging language.
    — Abdelahhad Barbour, Forbes.com, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of dialect
Noun
  • From a consideration of apoptosis—the orderly elimination of damaged or unnecessary cells—Solé moves on to failing machines, eroded memories, vanished languages, brittle digital archives, and more.
    — The New Yorker, New Yorker, 31 Aug. 2026
  • High-needs students — defined as those receiving free or reduced price meals, English language learners and students with disabilities — also performed about 10 points below the overall student body in each category.
    — Theo Peck-Suzuki, Hartford Courant, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of language
Noun
  • Young artists like the members of the Chilean boy band Q_ARE are fusing these elements with Latin music styles, Spanish and English lyrics and Chilean slang to pioneer a uniquely Latino pop subgenre.
    — Brittney Melton, NPR, 10 Aug. 2026
  • The latest slang to capture the Gen Z zeitgeist is a way to say poser, try-hard or fraud.
    — Rachel Hale, USA Today, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of slang

Browse Nearby Words

shops (for)
shoptalk
shopworn
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Shoptalk.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shoptalk. Accessed 5 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

A List of Most Commonly Confused Words

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Sept. 4
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
anagrams on a chalk board
Word Builder Quiz Vol. 2 Pick the letter that when added to a word will ma...
See All