bookstore

bookstore — noun

1. a shop that sells books, magazines, and often related items such as stationery a

1.nounA2
Definition

a shop that sells books, magazines, and often related items such as stationery and greeting cards.

Example

Christopher stopped at the Elm Street bookstore to buy a novel for his book club.

collocation: stop by a bookstore

Sayaka found a rare collection of Japanese poetry at the used bookstore near the station.

collocation: used bookstore

Common collocations
  • independent bookstore
  • used bookstore
  • online bookstore
  • visit a bookstore
  • work at a bookstore
Synonyms
  • bookshop

    the common British English equivalent; slightly less common in the US

  • bookseller

    can refer to a person who sells books or to the business itself

Usage Note

In American English, 'bookstore' is the standard term; in British English, 'bookshop' is more common, though 'bookstore' is also understood. The word is a closed compound — always written as one word, not 'book store'.

Common Mistakes

I need to return this book to the bookstore since I borrowed it.
I need to return this book to the library since I borrowed it.
'library' is where you borrow books for free; 'bookstore' is where you buy them.
She works at a book shop called Barnes and Noble.
She works at a bookstore called Barnes and Noble.
the standard compound is a single word, not two separate words.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

'Bookstore' and 'bookshop' both name a shop where books are sold, with the main difference being regional: 'bookstore' is the default in American English, while 'bookshop' is the more common term in British English, though both are understood everywhere. 'Bookseller' is a broader term that can refer either to a person who sells books or to the company that runs the store. A 'bookstore chain' (e.g. Barnes and Noble, Eslite) is a group of bookstores owned by the same company, as opposed to an 'independent bookstore' (often called an 'indie bookstore') owned by an individual or small local team. For example, a tourist visiting London might say 'I found a lovely little bookshop in Covent Garden,' while someone in New York would probably say 'I picked it up at a bookstore on Fifth Avenue.'

bookstore ↗bookshop ↗bookseller ↗bookstore chain

Common collocations

Nouns

  • bookstore owner
  • bookstore shelf
  • bookstore chain
  • bookstore customer

Phrases

  • run a bookstore
  • own a bookstore
  • work at a bookstore
  • browse in a bookstore
  • order from a bookstore

Prepositions

  • at a bookstore
  • in a bookstore
  • from a bookstore
  • to a bookstore

Etymology

Old EnglishLatinOld FrenchEnglish

'Bookstore' is a compound word formed from 'book' (from Old English 'bōc') and 'store' (from Latin 'instaurare' meaning 'to set up' or 'restore', via Old French 'estore' meaning 'a supply or shop'). The earliest recorded uses in English date from the mid-1700s, when dedicated shops selling printed books became common. Before that, books were typically sold by printers or at general markets.