Sweetshop

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A retail space that specializes in offering a variety of confections and desserts aimed at satisfying sweet cravings
2. An establishment dedicated to selling assorted candies, chocolates, and other sugary delights for customers' enjoyment
3. A shop where various candies, chocolates, and sugary treats are sold to customers

Etymology: A sweetshop is, quite literally, a shop that sells sweet things, and the word is simply a compound of two plain English words: "sweet," meaning a confection or piece of candy (a sense the adjective "sweet" developed in English, where "sweetmeat" and similar terms had long named sugared treats), and "shop," a place of retail trade. Joined together with no hyphen, the two words make one noun, and the spelling "sweetshop" is an alternative to the separated "sweet shop." The combination follows the same pattern as many other English compounds in which a shop is named after its goods, such as "bookshop" or "chemist's shop." Because the parts are transparent, the word has no hidden history to uncover, and its meaning has stayed close to its literal sense of a place where sweets are bought.

Synonyms: candy store, confectionery, chocolaterie, candy shop, dessert shop