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:
AI-generated food pictures are appearing on everything from takeout menus to deli displays, but turning heads for all the wrong reasons, Isabella Simonetti writes for the Journal.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 25, 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
The Taker recently got a job at the QFC on Mercer, and Lucy and Adrian work in the deli section with him, and Jules is Adrian’s girlfriend.
From "A Heart in a Body in the World" by Deb Caletti
There used to be a lot more really good delis in L.A.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 16, 2026
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
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
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
