Definition

Proper noun: * Frank Winfield Woolworth: An American businessman who founded the F. W. Woolworth Company, a pioneering variety store chain known for selling low-priced goods. He opened his first successful store in 1879, which became the model for a national and international retail empire.

Usage Examples

• Proper noun:
  • Frank Winfield Woolworth revolutionized retail with his "five-and-dime" store concept.
  • The biography details how Frank Winfield Woolworth built his commercial dynasty.

Advanced Usage

• The name is often used metonymically to refer to the company he founded or its business model.
  • The Frank Winfield Woolworth legacy lived on in the familiar downtown storefronts for decades.

Variants and Related Words

• Woolworth (Proper noun): A common shortened reference to either the man or, more frequently, his company.
  • She bought her school supplies at Woolworth.
• Woolworth's (Proper noun): A possessive form often used colloquially as the name of the store.
  • Let's meet at the lunch counter in Woolworth's.
• Five-and-dime / Five-and-ten (Noun): The type of store he pioneered, selling items for five and ten cents.

Synonyms

• Retail pioneer
• Chain store founder
• Merchant

Related Phrases

• The Woolworth Building: The iconic New York City skyscraper commissioned by Frank Winfield Woolworth, once the world's tallest building.
  • The Woolworth Building is a landmark of early 20th-century architecture.

Noun

1. United States businessman who opened a shop in 1879 selling low-priced goods and built it into a national chain of stores (1852-1919)