plural delis
: a store where ready-to-eat food products (such as cooked meats and prepared salads) are sold : delicatessen
You shuffle off to the deli and pick up a pastrami-on-rye and an egg cream. The bald man behind the counter whistles cheerfully as he slices the meat.Jay McInerney
Sixth Avenue in midtown was once lined with convenient, low-priced delis, cafeterias, coffee shops, and the like.Brendan Gill
also : the food sold at a delicatessen
If you're hungry for deli in Miami, only the Rascal House will do. Norman Kolpas
… a neat, orderly, well-lighted place so clean you could eat deli off the floor … Jack Fincher
often used before another noun
deli meats/platters
waiting in line at the deli counter

Examples of deli in a Sentence

We bought sandwiches and drinks at the deli.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
In May 2001, Jennifer Stahl, 39, an artist, singer, and actor, who had a minor role in Dirty Dancing, was selling exotic weed to an artsy clientele out of her sixth-floor apartment above the famous Jewish deli across the street from Carnegie Hall. John J. Lennon, Rolling Stone, 19 July 2025 Although the bacterium can contaminate many types of food, cheeses or deli meats that are kept in cold storage for long periods in stores or at home are a place where listeria can keep growing. Matthew Robinson, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 July 2025 Each deli also offers housemade meat lasagna, Roman-style meatballs and eggplant towers. Phillip Valys, Sun Sentinel, 7 July 2025 The deli restaurant and its nearby Scoop Deck, a place people went for ice cream, have been go-to destinations for people refueling after a jaunt around the harbor, to meet friends, hold business meetings or a place to chill. Erika I. Ritchie, Oc Register, 28 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for deli

Word History

First Known Use

1948, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of deli was in 1948

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Deli.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/deli. Accessed 25 Jul. 2025.

Kids Definition

deli

noun
plural delis
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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