surplus store

Meanings

1. 1nouncountable

   A shop that sells goods left over from the armed forces, such as clothing, boots, and bags.

   Grammar: Countable: you can say 'a surplus store' or 'surplus stores'.

   Patterns

   • at a surplus store
   • from a surplus store

   He bought a warm winter coat at the surplus store.

   The surplus store downtown sells old army boots and backpacks.

   She found a cheap tent at a surplus store before the camping trip.

2. 2nouncountable

   A shop that sells extra or unwanted goods, often from businesses or the government.

   Grammar: Countable: use 'a' or plural 'stores'.

   Patterns

   • surplus store for something
   • surplus store that sells something

   The city opened a surplus store to sell office furniture no longer needed.

   We visited a surplus store that had cheap school supplies.

   This surplus store gets its stock from companies that over-ordered.

Word forms

Common combinations

army surplus store

He found a waterproof jacket at the army surplus store.

military surplus store

The military surplus store sells camouflage trousers.

government surplus store

The government surplus store offers used computers at low prices.

at a surplus store

I bought this flashlight at a surplus store.

Synonyms and how they differ

army surplus shop

British English term for a store selling military leftover goods; 'surplus store' is more general and used in both American and British English.

outlet store

An outlet store sells discounted goods from a particular brand, not necessarily military or extra items; 'surplus store' specifically implies leftover or excess stock.

Word family

surplus noun

An amount that is more than needed; the store takes its name from this.

Commonly confused: surplus store or surplus shop?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “surplus store”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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