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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 boutique in a Sentence
Caroline Reid, Forbes, 5 Nov. 2024
Aimone designed the boutique himself and tapped Italian architects and craftspeople to help realize it.
—Samantha Conti, WWD, 5 Nov. 2024
At the other end of the valley, the Naramata Inn is a small luxury boutique hotel known for its in-house restaurant’s dinner service.
—Zach Wichter, USA TODAY, 3 Nov. 2024
Parma’s centro storico (historic center) is full of narrow streets lined with boutiques, restaurants, and bars.
—Laura Itzkowitz, Travel + Leisure, 3 Nov. 2024
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Dictionary Entries Near boutique
Cite this Entry
“Boutique.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/boutique. Accessed 29 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
boutique
noun
from French boutique "shop"
Legal Definition
boutique
noun
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