delicatessen
Americannoun
-
a store selling foods already prepared or requiring little preparation for serving, as cooked meats, cheese, salads, and the like.
-
Informal. the food products sold in such a store or at a counter.
We're having delicatessen for dinner.
noun
-
a shop selling various foods, esp unusual or imported foods, already cooked or prepared
-
such foods
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."
Vocabulary lists containing delicatessen
The Melting Pot: Food Words from Other Languages
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
The View from Saturday
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Stuart Little
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
An early job washing dishes at a delicatessen piqued her interest in cooking.
From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 3, 2025
Bunty Singh, who owns a local café and delicatessen, said he had no issue with anyone flying a national flag but also insisted there were no problems with immigration in Bridge of Weir.
From BBC • Oct. 8, 2025
Shortly after noon, customers continued to stream in and out of the delicatessen during the lunchtime rush.
From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 1, 2023
The alleged illegal activities came to light in 2021, when media reports surfaced that Hometown International, whose sole asset was a delicatessen in Paulsboro, New Jersey, had a valuation of about $100 million.
From Seattle Times • Jan. 20, 2023
Margaret did not even know what ruggelach were until Grandpa Izzy took her to a kosher delicatessen and introduced her to them.
From "The View From Saturday" by E.L. Konigsburg
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.
