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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
On Monday morning, signs began springing up outside participating delis advertising the fake egg options, like a bacon, egg and cheese. Karu F. Daniels, New York Daily News, 10 Mar. 2025 Classic meats and killer pretzels (not to mention a wonderful adjacent bakery, deli and market) are inarguably fun and delicious. Amy Drew Thompson, Orlando Sentinel, 7 Mar. 2025 That means grocery, dairy, frozen food, seafood, meat and fresh produce, deli and full-service bakery. Howard Cohen, Miami Herald, 28 Feb. 2025 Two months earlier, a listeria outbreak among certain Boar's Head deli meats led to the discontinuation of liverwurst from its lineup of cold cuts. Peter Burke, Fox News, 24 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for deli

Word History

First Known Use

1948, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of deli was in 1948

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Deli.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/deli. Accessed 15 Mar. 2025.

Kids Definition

deli

noun
plural delis
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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