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
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
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.
See Examples For:
The city stores’ “core basket of goods” isn’t “really some of the stuff that the bodega owners offer.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 17, 2026
“We really want to work with the bodega owners,” Ms. Pak said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 17, 2026
She started filling up her son’s closet, and soon enough, she found herself selling her other finds out of a bodega in her garage.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 3, 2026
Beyond the specific case of bodega cats, Taylor is pushing for a more radical overhaul of animal protection in New York.
From Barron's ● Feb. 10, 2026
Jimmy drove them back to the bodega, where Alex noticed Benny was no longer standing guard.
From "The Dead and the Gone" by Susan Beth Pfeffer
You may miss stocking up in well-lit superstores but enjoy getting to know shopkeepers who run tiny bodegas.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 30, 2026
She said the city was considering discounts on “bread, milk, meat, chicken, eggs” and won’t offer such items as the lottery tickets and alcohol found in bodegas.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 17, 2026
By night, darkness enveloped the streets, but electricity and reparto music bloomed sporadically from bodegas and bars.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 3, 2026
Taylor said she backs another initiative proposed by state assembly member Linda Rosenthal, a prominent animal welfare advocate, who proposes allowing cats in bodegas under certain conditions.
From Barron's ● Feb. 10, 2026
We got bodegas on both ends, which is cool, and a whole bunch of what my mom calls "interesting" folks who live in the middle.
From "When I Was the Greatest" by Jason Reynolds
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.
