deli
Americannoun
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delis
plural
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a delicatessen.
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food typically sold at a delicatessen, as cold cuts, salads, and pickles.
noun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of deli
First recorded in 1950–55; by shortening
Explanation
A deli is a market where you can buy prepared food or shop for staples including meat and cheese. You might have a favorite neighborhood deli where you go every morning for a bagel and coffee. The word deli is a shortened form, or common nickname, of delicatessen, an American English version of the German delikatessen, the plural of delikatesse, "delicacy," or "fine food." Many delis specialize in the food of a certain region, country, or ethnicity — like a Jewish deli, a German deli, or a Greek deli. You can usually buy sandwiches, salads, drinks, and specialty foods at delis.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Part of the draw is old-school deli theater.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 1, 2026
Sat Bains ran a breakfast pop-up on Sunday at a small deli in West Bridgford, Nottinghamshire, to support local businesses during a difficult time for the hospitality industry nationally.
From BBC ● Jul. 28, 2026
And he added that the company operates in an industry niche — prepared deli food — that has a combined $40 billion in U.S. sales.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 27, 2026
Admittedly unfamiliar with Armenian food or basturma, Gaines compared the brisket sandwich to a pastrami-and-pickle sandwich at a Jewish deli.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 13, 2026
I wanted to return to the deli and never see her again.
From "City of the Plague God" by Sarwat Chadda
Schwartz’s, one of Montreal’s most famous delis, has stopped serving the iconic US-made black cherry soda that has been a fixture at the restaurant for decades.
From BBC ● Sep. 6, 2026
Meanwhile, two delis near her childhood home in Chappaqua, N.Y., have added Caesar wraps to their menus in her honor.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 31, 2026
But Ottolenghi, who has 11 restaurants, cafes and delis, described the situation was "crippling" - not just for his own business, but for others running bakeries, cafes, and pubs.
From BBC ● May 29, 2026
When we order from delis now, I ask them to separate the meat from the bread so I can control the amount of meat in between the two slices.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 23, 2024
From now on, I’ll only eat at farm-fresh artisan food trucks and iconic celebrity delis.
From "What If It's Us" by Becky Albertalli and Adam Silvera
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
