drugstore
drugstore
Pronunciation
/ˈdrʌɡ.stɔːr/
drug: /drʌɡ/
/d/ - voiced alveolar plosive
/r/ - voiced alveolar approximant
/ʌ/ - near-open front unrounded vowel
/ɡ/ - voiced velar plosive
store: /stɔːr/
/s/ - voiceless alveolar fricative
/t/ - voiceless alveolar plosive
/ɔː/ - open-mid back rounded vowel
/r/ - voiced alveolar approximant
Word Form Variations
Singular Noun: drugstore
Plural Noun: drugstores
Definitions, Synonyms and Antonyms
Noun
Definition 1: A retail establishment that primarily sells prescription and over-the-counter medications, health and beauty products, and often a variety of general merchandise such as snacks, beverages, and household items.
Synonyms: pharmacy, chemist's (British English), apothecary (archaic)
Antonyms: (No direct antonyms, as it describes a type of store. One could consider "specialty store" or "boutique" as contrasting in scope, but not directly opposite.)
Definition 2: (Figurative, less common) A place or situation characterized by an abundance of readily available, often tempting or addictive, items or influences.
Synonyms: emporium, treasure trove (in a negative sense), cornucopia (if the items are undesirable)
Antonyms: wasteland, desert, scarcity
Examples of Use
Books
"When I was growing up, a trip to the drugstore was an event. It wasn't just about picking up prescriptions; it was a place to browse magazines, grab a soda, and maybe even get a comic book." (From a memoir about 20th-century American life)
"The detective followed the suspect's trail, which led from a grimy bar to a brightly lit drugstore on the corner, where he purchased a pre-paid phone." (From a contemporary crime novel)
Newspapers
"Local drugstores are bracing for a surge in flu shot demand as the winter season approaches." ( The New York Times)
"The city council is debating new zoning laws that could impact the proliferation of 24-hour drugstores in residential areas." ( Los Angeles Times)
Online Publications
"Beauty bloggers often tout their favorite affordable finds from the drugstore, proving that quality makeup doesn't always come with a hefty price tag." (Popsugar.com)
"A recent study found that many consumers are turning to online drugstores for the convenience and competitive pricing of over-the-counter medications." (WebMD.com)
Entertainment Mediums and Platforms
Film: In the movie Pulp Fiction (1994), Mia Wallace asks Vincent Vega to stop at a drugstore to buy some cigarettes.
Television: In the TV series Seinfeld, Kramer famously tries to return a used personal hygiene item to a drugstore, leading to a comical confrontation.
Music: The song "Drugstore Perfection" by The Magnetic Fields (1999) uses the term to evoke a sense of mass-produced, idealized beauty.
Video Games: In the Grand Theft Auto series, players can often enter and interact with drugstore-like establishments to purchase health items or other necessities.
General Public Discourse
"I just need to run to the drugstore to pick up some shampoo." (Common conversational phrase)
"The prices at that new drugstore are surprisingly good, especially for their house brand." (Everyday consumer discussion)
"My grandmother used to tell stories about how the soda fountain at the local drugstore was the hub of their small town." (Personal anecdote)
10 Quotes Using Drugstore
"In the factory we make cosmetics; in the drugstore we sell hope." (Charles Revson)
"It's one thing to develop a nostalgia for home while you're boozing with Yankee writers in Martha's Vineyard or being chased by the bulls in Pamplona. It's something else to go home and visit with the folks in Reed's drugstore on the square and actually listen to them." (Walker Percy, Lost in the Cosmos: The Last Self-Help Book)
"It is sad that the more 'successful' a neighborhood becomes, the more it gradually takes on a recognizable, common look, as the same banks, drugstore chains and national brands move in." (Richard Florida)
"You got to pack water to get to the drugstore." (Peter Falk)
"My idea is simply - is very simple - is that the books of poetry should be published in far greater volume and be distributed in far greater volume, in far more substantial manner. You can sell in supermarkets very cheaply. In paperbacks. You can sell in drugstores." (Lawrence Ferlinghetti)
"That spring, Amelia takes Maya to the drugstore and lets her choose any polish color she likes." (Ruth Madievsky, All-Night Pharmacy)
"I'm all about the drugstore beauty products. They're affordable and get the job done." (Tamara Tunie)
"My mother taught me to appreciate a good drugstore beauty aisle." (Ivanka Trump)
"Jackie was speaking at a drugstore, and I said, 'I'm not going to get this opportunity again, so I better take my chances and listen to Jackie Robinson now.'" (Hank Aaron)
"The drugstore with its torn awning." (From a memoir by an unnamed author)
Etymology
The word "drugstore" is pretty straightforward in how it came to be. It's essentially a combination of two older words: "drug" and "store."
Drug: This part of the word comes from the Old French word "drogue," which referred to dry goods, spices, or medicinal substances. Over time, it specifically came to mean a medicine or a chemical substance used for medical purposes.
Store: This word comes from the Old French "estore" or "estoire," meaning "provisions" or "stock." It eventually evolved to mean a place where goods are kept for sale.
So, when you put "drug" and "store" together, you get a "store" that sells "drugs" – meaning medicines.
The first known use of the term "drugstore" to describe a retail establishment selling medicines and other sundries appears to be in American English around the early to mid-19th century. Before that, you might have heard terms like "apothecary" or "chemist's shop," which were more common in British English and referred primarily to places where medicines were prepared and dispensed.
The concept of a "drugstore" as we know it today, selling a wider range of items beyond just medicines (like toiletries, snacks, and general household goods), really developed in the United States. It became a convenient, one-stop shop for many daily needs, reflecting a shift in retail practices.
Phrases + Idioms Containing Drugstore
Drugstore cowboy: (Idiom) A man who dresses flashily and tries to impress women, especially in a small town. This term originated in the early 20th century.
Drugstore makeup/beauty products: (Phrase) Referring to cosmetics or personal care items that are readily available and typically affordable, sold at a drugstore rather than a high-end department store.
Drugstore variety: (Phrase) Something that is common, easily found, and not particularly special or exclusive.
Run to the drugstore: (Phrase) To make a quick trip to a drugstore, usually for a specific item.
Drugstore novel/romance: (Phrase) A derogatory or informal term for a cheap, often sensationalist orformulaic, paperback novel, typically sold in drugstores.
A chemist's shop full of remedies: (Idiom, using a synonym) A place or situation with a wide variety of solutions or cures for problems.
Pharmacy of life: (Figurative phrase, using a synonym) A metaphorical place where one finds the various experiences, lessons, and emotional "remedies" of life.
Apothecary of ideas: (Figurative phrase, using a synonym) A source or collection of diverse thoughts, concepts, or innovations.
Drugstore wisdom: (Original phrase) Simple, practical advice, often easily acquired or widely known, like items found in a drugstore.
Like a kid in a drugstore: (Original phrase, playing on "kid in a candy store") Someone overwhelmed or delighted by a vast array of choices, particularly common or everyday items.
Vocabulary-Based Stories from SEA
Source Information
Definition of drugstore from The Academic Glossary at Self Exploration Academy, a Urikville Press Publication. © All rights reserved.
