1. Plural of groceteria; self-service grocery stores that combine features of a grocery store and a cafeteria, allowing customers to select items and pay at checkout.
Usage: Informal or dated term, primarily used in mid-20th century American English; Largely superseded by 'supermarket' and 'self-service grocery store'

Examples

• The new groceterias in the 1950s revolutionized how families shopped for food.
• Unlike traditional butcher shops, groceterias let customers pick their own meat from refrigerated cases.
• My grandmother preferred the old corner store to the modern groceterias that were opening downtown.
• Groceterias introduced the concept of self-checkout decades before digital registers became common.