delicatessen

American  

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

noun

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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Etymology

Origin of delicatessen

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

Example Sentences

We would have lunch at the Parkway Deli, a New York style delicatessen that’s in Silver Spring.

From Washington Post

Faux, in the Nottingham suburb of Sherwood, is the city's first vegan butchers and delicatessen.

From BBC

He was raised by his mother and stepfather, both of whom ran a delicatessen.

From Washington Post

I was 12 at the time, my sister was 5 and my parents owned a kosher delicatessen restaurant in Brooklyn.

From New York Times

This time last year, Jacqueline Canter, co-owner of Canter’s in Los Angeles, spent her birthday laying off about 100 employees by phone, hoping she’d be able to call them back when the delicatessen could reopen.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• cafeteria
• deli