deli

noun

ˈde-lē 

plural delis

: a store or department of 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

The new, 115,000 square-foot store is expected to employ around 450 people and will sell a variety of food, including produce, baked goods, deli products and will offer a selection of wine and beer. — Mike Darnay, CBS News, 13 Aug. 2026

Changes revealed last November include some new storefronts, upgraded produce, bakery and deli departments, self-checkout and to-go service, plus energy-saving fixtures. — Charlotte Observer, 12 Aug. 2026

Check out Mish Delicatessen in the Fairfax District, a deeply personal attempt to modernize the Jewish deli tradition. — Jack Dolan, Los Angeles Times, 11 Aug. 2026

Acker had brought two large deli coffees, and Lee sipped his from a straw. — Alexandra Schwartz, New Yorker, 10 Aug. 2026

Word History

Etymology

short for delicatessen

First Known Use

1948, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for deli

• belly
• jelly
• kellie
• melly
• nellie
• nelly
• shelly
• skelly
• smellie
• smelly
• tele
• telly

Kids Definition

deli

noun

ˈdel-ē 

plural delis

: delicatessen sense 2