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:
Mr. Marte started working as a bodega worker at 18.
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
Subsidized goods for a low price may be a nice change at first, just have the common courtesy to not let the door hit your favorite bodega owner on the way out.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 1, 2026
Inspired by Rimada's petition, New York City council member Keith Powers has proposed a measure to shield the owners of bodega cats from penalties.
From Barron's ● Feb. 10, 2026
I see it every time I walk past the bodega and see her sitting on the stoop.
From "Like Vanessa" by Tami Charles
You may miss stocking up in well-lit superstores but enjoy getting to know shopkeepers who run tiny bodegas.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 30, 2026
Lost will be the ungentrified bodegas that celebrate neighborhood regulars by thumbtacking Polaroid photos of them to the wall and let customers buy sandwich bread on credit.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 17, 2026
Simba, a large cat with thick ginger and white fur, is one of thousands of felines that live in New York's corner shops known as "bodegas" -- even if their presence is illegal.
From Barron's ● Feb. 10, 2026
It was near midnight, and he was gliding between stalls and bodegas, activating the city’s Muslim community—roughly 9 percent of New Yorkers—with his now signature mix of warmth and urgency.
From Slate ● Nov. 12, 2025
Beatriz’s mom owns several bodegas, so she has the money to buy the most expensive fabrics in Puerto Rico and dress her up all nice.
From "Like Vanessa" by Tami Charles
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.
