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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.
Examples of bodega in a Sentence
Max Scheinblum, The Denver Post, 30 Jan. 2025
My last question to you is absolutely the most important: Has Carisi found a new bodega near work?
—Kimberly Roots, TVLine, 16 Jan. 2025
Tom Holland's Peter has a favorite bodega, chases bad guys through backyards, and struggles to mix superhero-ing with the academic decathlon.
—Darren Franich, EW.com, 7 Jan. 2025
Police did not disclose what happened inside the bodega that led to the shot being fired.
—Thomas Tracy, New York Daily News, 11 Jan. 2025
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Dictionary Entries Near bodega
Cite this Entry
“Bodega.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bodega. Accessed 8 Feb. 2025.
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