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

Here are the healthiest deli meats. —Merve Ceylan, Health, 17 Feb. 2026

The job fair on Wednesday is for 600 full- and part-time positions including deli, bakery, market, produce, seafood and the True Texas BBQ restaurant. —Fousia Abdullahi, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 17 Feb. 2026

The beloved East Bay deli chain, which operated in Oakland for 90 years before closing in 2016, has operated in Walnut Creek for 58 years. —Kate Bradshaw, Mercury News, 17 Feb. 2026

The wholesaler will be rolling out cake and deli tray ordering through its mobile app, Costco CEO Ron Vachris said during the company's most recent quarterly earnings call in December 2025. —Melina Khan, USA Today, 16 Feb. 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