From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishdepartment storedeˈpartment ˌstore ●●○ noun [countable] SHOP/STOREa large shop that is divided into separate departments, each selling a different type of goods
Examples from the Corpus
department store• The same uneasy juxtaposition of man and technology is evident if you take the lift in a department store.• So I became a shoe salesman in a department store that had a predominantly black clientele.• The Edel MacBride label is already familiar to Chicago with clothing being sold at a large department store in the city.• The department store chain will consolidate its regional businesses into its Schaumburg, Illinois.From Longman Business Dictionarydepartment storedeˈpartment storeCOMMERCE a large shop that is divided into separate departments, each selling a different type of goodsMost large department stores now offer in-house credit cards. → store 