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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
Elizabeth Keogh, New York Daily News, 16 Mar. 2025
Ever-rising egg prices, supply shortages, egg thefts and reports of bodegas selling loose eggs confirm strong demand for the kitchen staple even as avian flu infects and kills more of the birds that produce them.
—Jia H. Jung, The Mercury News, 25 Feb. 2025
Listen to this article New York City bodega owners now have an egg-ceptional answer to skyrocketing egg prices.
—Karu F. Daniels, New York Daily News, 10 Mar. 2025
This unassuming corner bodega has been in Black ownership since the 1950s, when the Maxey family operated a small grocery store and barbershop.
—Meira Gebel, Axios, 27 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for bodega
Cite this Entry
“Bodega.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bodega. Accessed 5 Apr. 2025.
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