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

Breakfast sandwiches, cookies and pie are also sold at the deli. —Kansas City Star, 9 Jan. 2026

Two men were shot in a deli in Flatbush, Brooklyn, Friday afternoon. —Adi Guajardo, CBS News, 9 Jan. 2026

The salad pictured included what appeared to be sliced deli meat, lettuce, cubed cheese, and a whole tomato. —Marina Watts, PEOPLE, 7 Jan. 2026

Glorioso's offers specialty cheeses, deli sandwiches, an olive bar and a bakery featuring cannoli. —Kelli Arseneau, jsonline.com, 6 Jan. 2026

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