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

Overall, turkey breast is a healthier choice than deli turkey. —Sarah Bence, Verywell Health, 27 Nov. 2025

Some departments, like their delis and pharmacies, might be closed, so check with the store for exact hours. —Eleanor Nash, Kansas City Star, 25 Nov. 2025

Select deli cheese from Boar’s Head has been recalled over possible listeria contamination. —Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 25 Nov. 2025

Boar's Head withdrew millions of pounds of deli products last year, when a listeria outbreak killed 10 and sickened dozens more, prompting a federal investigation, which resulted in the temporary closure of its main plant in Virginia. —Amanda Greenwood, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 Nov. 2025

Word History

Etymology

short for delicatessen

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