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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
Monica Mendal, Vogue, 5 Apr. 2024
This boutique hotel, from the fourth generation of the Cipriani family, offers panoramic views of Biscayne Bay and the Miami skyline.
—Andrea Navarro, Glamour, 4 Apr. 2024
Travelers can inch closer to World of Hyatt elite status with a special offer this month from Dream Hotels and Thompson Hotels, two of Hyatt’s boutique luxury brands.
—Ramsey Qubein, Condé Nast Traveler, 3 Apr. 2024
Choose Your Home Base Stay Downtown Opt for one of downtown's two boutique hotels to experience the area’s walkability.
—Betsy Cribb Watson, Southern Living, 2 Apr. 2024
The owners of Mountain Winery submitted plans to Santa Clara County for a mixed-use project including an 81-room boutique hotel and 255 housing units to be built on the winery’s property and parking areas.
—Isha Trivedi, The Mercury News, 2 Apr. 2024
Elsewhere in the Cyclades, look for luxury boutique hotels (many, like The Wild and Kalesma, are family owned).
—Eleni N. Gage, Travel + Leisure, 1 Apr. 2024
Here are five boutique hotels in coastal Maine to check out—and into—this summer.
—Passport By Forbeslife, Forbes, 29 Mar. 2024
Casa Velas offers travelers the flexibility of a comprehensive all-inclusive plan within a boutique resort setting.
—Katherine Alex Beaven, Travel + Leisure, 20 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'boutique.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near boutique
Cite this Entry
“Boutique.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/boutique. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
boutique
noun
from French boutique "shop"
Legal Definition
boutique
noun
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