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
Jay McInerneySixth Avenue in midtown was once lined with convenient, low-priced delis, cafeterias, coffee shops, and the like.—Brendan Gill
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
Norman Kolpas … a neat, orderly, well-lighted place so clean you could eat deli off the floor … —Jack Fincher
—often used before another noun Jack Fincher 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
Beyond the buzzy openings and the hottest reservations in town, the Queen City is stacked with neighborhood gems, secret speakeasies, hole-in-the-wall taquerias and even a gas station deli that’s been quietly slinging Southern classics for nearly four decades.
—Charlotte Observer, 4 June 2026
And finally, Hao’s Grocery and Café is transitioning into a full-service tea shop and deli.
—Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 2 June 2026
Other options include a beach club where guests can order salads and burgers by the pool or on the sand, an afternoon tea lounge, lobby deli and pastry shop, and an Arabic lounge that stays open late for those with cocktails and shisha on their mind.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 1 June 2026
Wrap everything in a slice of deli ham or turkey, and add a bowl of hot pepper jelly on the side for dipping.
—Lizzy Briskin, Better Homes & Gardens, 31 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for deli
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Charlotte Observer, 4 June 2026
And finally, Hao’s Grocery and Café is transitioning into a full-service tea shop and deli.
—Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 2 June 2026
Other options include a beach club where guests can order salads and burgers by the pool or on the sand, an afternoon tea lounge, lobby deli and pastry shop, and an Arabic lounge that stays open late for those with cocktails and shisha on their mind.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 1 June 2026
Wrap everything in a slice of deli ham or turkey, and add a bowl of hot pepper jelly on the side for dipping.
—Lizzy Briskin, Better Homes & Gardens, 31 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for deli
Cite this Entry
“Deli.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/deli. Accessed 5 Jun. 2026.
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