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

Best of all, pick up a made-to-order deli sandwich from the lunch counter. —Pam Leblanc, Southern Living, 24 Jan. 2025

Childhood snack references aside, this completes cheese boards, deli and breakfast sandwiches, sausages, and soft pretzels. —Karla Walsh, Better Homes & Gardens, 16 Jan. 2025

The Hollywood store also has a deli counter with prepared foods and charcuteries, a fresh seafood department, signature caviar and smoked fish selections, and a dedicated section for organic and health-conscious products. —Howard Cohen, Miami Herald, 14 Jan. 2025

Lately, Wells said, grocery stores have been investing in their prepared to-go options, with in-store pizza counters and plastic clamshells of deli salads and ready-to-heat containers of spaghetti. —Rachel Sugar, The Atlantic, 6 Jan. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1948, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

deli

noun

ˈdel-ē 

plural delis

: delicatessen sense 2