bazaar

or ba·zar

[ buh-zahr ]

noun

1. a marketplace or shopping quarter, especially one in the Middle East.

   Synonyms: exchange, mart, market

2. a sale of miscellaneous contributed articles to benefit some charity, cause, organization, etc.
3. a store in which many kinds of goods are offered for sale; department store.

bazaar

/ bəˈzɑː /

noun

1. (esp in the Orient) a market area, esp a street of small stalls
2. a sale in aid of charity, esp of miscellaneous secondhand or handmade articles
3. a shop where a large variety of goods is sold

Word History and Origins

Origin of bazaar¹

1590–1600; earlier bazarro < Italian ≪ Persian bāzār market

Word History and Origins

Origin of bazaar¹

C16: from Persian bāzār , from Old Persian abēcharish

Example Sentences

The nation’s war on drugs has largely failed, but that doesn’t mean police have to sit back as city streets become drug bazaars that flourish in plain sight day and night.

From Los Angeles Times

Some of them were closing down in the fading light of day, and people were still gathered behind the restaurant in an alley that serves as a drug bazaar.

From Los Angeles Times

The shooting occurred around 5:30 p.m., when at least one gunman opened fire on the group of tourists as they left a bazaar in the capital of the province, eyewitnesses said.

From New York Times

Hookah smoke hung in the bazaar like a chandelier.

From Literature

“Americans were some of our best customers,” said Ali Faez, the owner of one dusty carpet shop at the bazaar.

From Seattle Times

Related Words

• marketplace
• mart