delicatessen

American  

[del-i-kuh-tes-uhn] / ˌdɛl ɪ kəˈtɛs ən /

noun

• delicatessens
  plural

1. a store selling foods already prepared or requiring little preparation for serving, as cooked meats, cheese, salads, and the like.

2. Informal. the food products sold in such a store or at a counter.

   We're having delicatessen for dinner.

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delicatessen British  

/ ˌdɛlɪkəˈtɛsən /

noun

1. a shop selling various foods, esp unusual or imported foods, already cooked or prepared

2. such foods

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• delicatessens
  plural

Etymology

Origin of delicatessen

1885–90, < German, plural of Delikatesse dainty < French délicatesse

Explanation

A delicatessen is a small market where you can buy prepared food, sandwiches, sliced meat and cheese, and other food items. Your morning routine might include a stop at the delicatessen for a toasted bagel. A delicatessen is a specialty food shop that often specializes in traditionally Jewish, Italian, or German foods. While you can stock up on bread, milk, and other staples at many delicatessens, they're best known for unusual ethnic foods and prepared sandwiches and salads. The word delicatessen comes from the German delikatessen, which is plural for delikatesse, "delicacy" or "fine food."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

delicatessen delicatessens

The city’s appetizing stores, which first appeared in the late 19th century, are a type of delicatessen that only sells products such as smoked and cured fish, dairy and nuts due to kosher law.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 10, 2025

From the pale, shredded stuff in the supermarket delicatessen to my own favorite homemade version that combines cabbage, kale and chard in a vaguely Asian dressing, it all works for me.

From Seattle Times ● Aug. 19, 2023

Thierry Ways, the owner of La Parisienne, a delicatessen in the coastal city of Barranquilla, also pointed out the inconsistency in the new rule.

From New York Times ● Jun. 10, 2023

I mentioned that Canter’s delicatessen on Fairfax, another hangout from the old days, was still there.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 13, 2023

The little Jewish delicatessen was full of Christians buying Jew rye bread.

From "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn" by Betty Smith

Sisters Este, Danielle and Alana began their career playing gigs at local delicatessens with their parents.

From BBC ● Dec. 13, 2025

They’ve recently embraced a unique kind of street style — one that’s emblazoned with logos of famous delicatessens and their most popular offerings, like knishes, pastrami, pickles and bagels.

From Salon ● Oct. 8, 2023

Learn how to roll with the best in an afternoon lesson from the sfogline of La Salumeria, one of the city’s best delicatessens.

From National Geographic ● Apr. 17, 2023

The measure, passed on Wednesday, will prohibit sales of the fattened liver of a duck or goose at restaurants, groceries, delicatessens, and other venues citywide.

From The Guardian ● Oct. 31, 2019

Through personal letters to desirable shops, delicatessens, boarding-houses, colleges, etc.

From Every Step in Canning by Grace Viall Gray

Related Words

• cafeteria
• deli