small stores

American  

plural noun

Navy.

1. personal articles of regulation issue sold to sailors by a supply officer and charged to their pay, as extra clothing.

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small stores British  

plural noun

1. navy personal items, such as clothing, sold aboard ship or at a naval base Compare slop chest

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Etymology

Origin of small stores

First recorded in 1830–40

Example Sentences

The island’s cities are dense and highly urbanized, making it easy for small stores to capture heavy foot traffic.

From Barron's • Mar. 21, 2026

Savi Provisions, the city’s private-sector partner, runs a chain of high-end small stores with organic foods.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 25, 2025

They say that raising the 5-cent deposit to 10 cents will hurt sales, and that many small stores and distributors will suffer from the bill expanding the kinds of containers that can be redeemed.

From Slate • Nov. 27, 2024

Visitors take photos of intricate murals painted by local artists and shop for handicrafts in small stores.

From Seattle Times • Feb. 21, 2024

A tangle of old homes and shacks clustered around small stores and buildings that had seen better days.

From "Ruby Holler" by Sharon Creech