bodega
Americannoun
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a small, independent or family-owned grocery store, usually located in a densely populated urban environment, traditionally serving a Hispanic clientele.
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(in Spain)
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a wineshop.
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a warehouse for storing or aging wines.
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noun
Etymology
Origin of bodega
First recorded in 1845–50 bodega for def. 2; 1965–70 bodega for def. 1; from Latin American Spanish, Spanish “wine cellar, wine shop,” from Latin apothēca “storehouse”; see apothecary
Explanation
A bodega is a small corner store or market that sells groceries and wine. Many bodegas are located in Spanish-speaking neighborhoods of large cities. If you visit New York City, you'll see bodegas, little shops where people buy groceries and small items. A bodega is kind of like a convenience store such as 7-11 — it's small and more convenient than a supermarket. If you just need a few items, the bodega is the place to stop. The word bodega means "wine shop" in Spanish, and it shares a root with the French boutique: the Greek apotheke, or "store."
Vocabulary lists containing bodega
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
You have so many things going on, wife and kid, touring, Bodega Cat Whiskey, podcasts, a new special — how are you managing?
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 17, 2026
The Bodega Special, a rich, fudgy, deeply chocolatey cosmic brownie with powdered sugar ice cream that looks like mini donuts is a chocolate lover’s delight.
From Salon • Oct. 31, 2025
Similarly, this year’s outbreak stretched from Baja California in Mexico to Bodega Bay in Northern California.
From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 17, 2025
Ogg was adopted from Japan, and has lived most of his life near Bodega Bay, a fishing town on the Sonoma County coast.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 10, 2025
I saw that Bodega was in no rush to get to where he was going.
From "Bodega Dreams" by Ernesto Quinonez
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
