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

That combination of a national fast-casual favorite with old-school deli staples helped Citi Field build a reputation no other MLB ballpark has matched in recent voting cycles. — Lauren Schuster, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 16 July 2026

The deli was run by Patten's friend and teammate, Paul Morina, a high school principal and renowned wrestling coach, who was unaware of the stock manipulation scheme. — Dan Mangan, CNBC, 15 July 2026

Made famous by Jewish-style delis in Richmond, Virginia, to satisfy the appetites of local Navy seamen, the Sailor sandwich is a meat-centric indulgence. — Erin Merhar, Southern Living, 15 July 2026

Community helps deli Khalid Sarsour, who owns Garden Gourmet Deli and Grill, was standing right next to the register when the crash happened, just steps away from where the car struck his store. — Jenna Deangelis, CBS News, 13 July 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