Definition

Proper noun 1. A surname, specifically that of Frank Winfield Woolworth: The name refers to the founder of the F. W. Woolworth Company, a historically significant American retail business. 2. The F. W. Woolworth Company (often shortened to "Woolworth's" or "Woolworth"): A former retail chain known for its "five-and-dime" stores, which sold a wide variety of inexpensive items.

Usage Examples

• Proper noun (referring to the person):
  • Frank W. Woolworth revolutionized retail with his fixed-price concept.
  • The building was financed by Woolworth himself.
• Proper noun (referring to the company or store):
  • My grandmother always bought her sewing supplies at Woolworth.
  • The Woolworth lunch counter was a famous meeting place in many towns.

Advanced Usage

• "Woolworth's": The common possessive form used to refer to the store or chain colloquially.
  • Let's meet at the diner next to Woolworth's.
• "Five-and-dime": A term synonymous with Woolworth's business model, selling items for five and ten cents.
  • The old five-and-dime, like Woolworth, has largely disappeared.

Variants and Related Words

• Woolworth's (noun): The commonly used colloquial name for the store.
  • I'm going to Woolworth's to look for a greeting card.
• Woolworthian (adjective, rare): Pertaining to or characteristic of the Woolworth stores or their business model.
  • It had a Woolworthian feel, with its aisles of cheap, practical goods.

Synonyms

• Five-and-dime (noun): A store selling low-priced merchandise.
• Variety store (noun): A store selling a wide range of inexpensive goods.
• Dime store (noun): Another term for a five-and-dime store.

Related Phrases

• Woolworth Building: A famous skyscraper in New York City commissioned by Frank W. Woolworth. While a compound noun, it is directly associated with the namesake.
  • The Woolworth Building was once the tallest in the world.
• Like something out of Woolworth's: An idiom (now somewhat dated) implying something is cheap, commonplace, or mass-produced.
  • That jewelry looks like something out of Woolworth's.

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)