deli

noun

ˈde-lē 

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

Surveillance video from the deli showed Gadson moving aggressively toward one of the men before heading in the opposite direction on Frederick Douglass Blvd. —Kerry Burke, New York Daily News, 22 May 2025

Salmonella, listeria and E. coli were attached to the entries, which cited specific outbreaks that occurred last year in relation to foods like deli meat, certain produce and dairy. —Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA Today, 19 May 2025

Listeria can thrive in cold environments, such as refrigerated foods, which is why ready-to-eat meals and deli items are particularly vulnerable. —Kate Nalepinski, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 May 2025

The crisper or deli drawer is perfect for this purpose, maintaining a more stable temperature than in other parts of the fridge. —Katie Rosenhouse, Southern Living, 9 May 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1948, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for deli

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

Kids Definition

deli

noun

ˈdel-ē 

plural delis

: delicatessen sense 2