Supermarket

/ˈsuːpərˌmɑːrkɪt/ noun

Definition

A large self-service store that sells groceries, household items, and other everyday products organized into different sections.

Etymology

Coined in the 1930s in America, combining 'super' (Latin for 'above' or 'beyond') and 'market' (from Old Italian 'mercato'), creating a concept of a market that was bigger and superior to traditional small grocery shops.

Kelly Says

The supermarket is actually a 20th-century invention that completely changed how humans shop—before the 1930s, you'd list items and a shopkeeper would fetch them for you, so the 'super' self-service market was truly revolutionary!

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