haberdashery

/ˌhæbərˈdæʃəri/

/hæbəˈdæʃəri/

Other forms: haberdasheries

A haberdashery is a men's clothing shop, or a men's department in a larger store. You might visit a haberdashery to buy your dad a tie for Father's Day.

Haberdashery is an old-fashioned word for the store you visit when you want to buy a suit or a shirt and tie. In the UK, the meaning is different — a British haberdashery sells sewing notions like buttons, zippers, and thread. The word comes from haberdasher, "seller of small things." These small things sometimes traditionally included men's hats, which led to the American definition of "men's shop."

Definitions of haberdashery

1. noun

   a store where men's clothes are sold
   synonyms: clothing store, haberdashery store, mens store

   types:

   slopseller's shop, slopshop

   a store that sells cheap ready-made clothing

   type of:

   shop, store

   a mercantile establishment for the retail sale of goods or services
2. noun

   the drygoods sold by a haberdasher
   synonyms: men's furnishings

   type of:

   drygoods, soft goods

   textiles or clothing and related merchandise