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

Across the corner from us was Langer’s, whose owner made national news in 2024 when he vowed to close his famed delicatessen if MacArthur Park didn’t improve.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 22, 2026

An early job washing dishes at a delicatessen piqued her interest in cooking.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 3, 2025

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

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

Across from her now: the bakery, the butcher, the delicatessen.

From "All the Light We Cannot See" by Anthony Doerr

The farm has supplied restaurants including the Michelin-starred Les Crayères in Reims, as well as delicatessens and private clients, Franceinfo reports.

From BBC ● Nov. 30, 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

Matzo ball soup, chopped liver, kugel, salami and pickled herring — it’s all on display at “I’ll Have What She’s Having,” an exhibition in Los Angeles exploring Jewish delicatessens.

From New York Times ● Jul. 19, 2022

Like all Jewish delicatessens, this shop contains everything that any patron is willing to buy, and in addition, elaborates the coffee-house idea into any shape that circumstances may suggest.

From The Library and Society Reprints of Papers and Addresses by Arthur Elmore Bostwick

Related Words

• cafeteria
• deli