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
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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
The house rule is that shoptalk is verboten on Saturdays.
—Sue Reilly, Peoplemag, 13 Feb. 2024
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 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
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
Charlie Lee, Harpers Magazine, 18 June 2025
The house rule is that shoptalk is verboten on Saturdays.
—Sue Reilly, Peoplemag, 13 Feb. 2024
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 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
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
Noun
-
Which means that their terminology won't disappear anytime soon.—
Mariyam Muhammad,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
30 Dec. 2025
-
This Trumpian newspeak about Germany — to use George Orwell’s term for the distorted terminology of authoritarians — reveals an indifference to (or ignorance of) history that endangers not only Europe but the United States.—
Trudy Rubin,
Mercury News,
20 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
Americans argued fiercely about whether to intervene abroad, but largely shared the same moral vocabulary.—
Philip Martin,
Washington Post,
7 Jan. 2026
-
Regular reading leads to positive impacts on your mental and emotional well-being, including slowing down cognitive decline, bolstering empathy and curiosity, improving your vocabulary and reducing stress.—
Clare Mulroy,
USA Today,
2 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Though the Norn language has gone, the local dialect remains distinctive, as fans of the BBC detective show Shetland will know.—
Sarah Moss,
Travel + Leisure,
11 Jan. 2026
-
Language classes, which previously covered only a specific dialect of Spanish, have been replaced with robust translation and interpretation services that apply to multiple languages.—
Meredith Kile,
PEOPLE,
8 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Nationally, median early career wages range from $40,000 for a foreign language degree to $80,000 for a computer science degree, according to an analysis by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.—
Marissa Meador,
IndyStar,
9 Jan. 2026
-
Administration officials have cut that time roughly in half, partly by eliminating Spanish-language courses.—
Meredith Kile,
PEOPLE,
8 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
The speed at which Gen Alpha has been churning out new, often nonsensical, slang has been fast and furious throughout 2025.—
Lauren Brown West-Rosenthal,
Parents,
31 Dec. 2025
-
What other slang does Gen Alpha use?—
Mariyam Muhammad,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
30 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Shoptalk.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shoptalk. Accessed 12 Jan. 2026.
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