apothecary
noun
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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 apothecary in a Sentence
Visit Lake Tahoe, AFAR Media, 21 Feb. 2025
This former apothecary opened in 1792 and operating until 1933 houses herbal botanicals, old invoices and prescriptions, and tonics.
—Kayleigh Ruller, Charlotte Observer, 14 Jan. 2025
Spread across three floors, its interior channels old-world apothecaries and midcentury elegance, transporting you to another era.
—airmail.news, 1 Feb. 2025
The explosion of the category is a result of enthusiastic experimentation, with some producers employing an apothecary’s approach to ingredients—the category is not bound to what was done before.
—Joseph Hernandez, Bon Appétit, 9 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for apothecary
Cite this Entry
“Apothecary.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/apothecary. Accessed 13 Mar. 2025.
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apothecary
noun
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