noun
shop
shop
noun
1
A place, physical or online, where goods or services are sold.
"She opened a small flower shop on the high street."
"He ordered the parts from an online shop."
2
A workshop where things are made or repaired.
"The car was in the shop getting a new clutch fitted."
verb
1
To visit stores or browse products with a view to buying.
"We spent the afternoon shopping for a new sofa."
2
To inform on someone to the authorities.
"His own neighbour shopped him to the police."
How to Use Shop
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA place to buy things or get work done, or the act of buying/browsing there.
When to use it
"Shop" meaning to inform on someone is British informal slang, not used this way in American English.
Common pairings
shop around
talk shop
closed shop
Word Forms
shopped past tense, shops plural, shops singular
Study it as flashcards or scroll it in Flow — saved to your collection.
Test yourself on “shop”
A quick quiz — meaning, synonyms & usage
→
Fill the Gap
Can you complete this real example?
She opened a small flower _____ on the high street.
Etymology
From Old English sceoppa ("shed, booth, stall"), from an ancient Germanic root for a barn or shed; the verb was formed later from the noun.