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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
Corky Siemaszko, NBC News, 13 Feb. 2025
Throughout New York, many bodegas have raised prices on eggs.
—Louis Casiano, Fox News, 7 Feb. 2025
And one of the largest dispensaries in the Northeast opens with an interior that looks more like an Aimé Leon Dore store than any of the fluorescent-green weed bodegas near you.
—Morgan Meier, Curbed, 27 Dec. 2024
The spot, which is the passion project of Dana Monfort, will also feature a New York-style bodega and fast-casual restaurant at 2810 E. 3rd Ave., formerly home to Crepes n’ Crepes.
—Max Scheinblum, The Denver Post, 30 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 19 Feb. 2025.
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