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
Jay McInerneySixth Avenue in midtown was once lined with convenient, low-priced delis, cafeterias, coffee shops, and the like.—Brendan Gill
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
Norman Kolpas … a neat, orderly, well-lighted place so clean you could eat deli off the floor … —Jack Fincher
—often used before another noun Jack Fincher 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
The study categorized red meat (beef and pork) and poultry (chicken and turkey) as unprocessed and identified deli meats, bacon, and sausage as processed.
—Tom Gavin, EverydayHealth.com, 23 Mar. 2026
Jessi D'Ambrosi, who owns the deli and grew up outside Boston, opened the shop after relocating to the Cotswolds and noticing a growing American presence, news agency SWNS reported.
—Kelly McGreal, FOXNews.com, 21 Mar. 2026
The real American sub, a succulent monster assembled by an artisanal stacker of deli meats and square cheeses, only hit the Old Country when Tommy’s Sandwiches opened in King’s Cross, central London, in January 2026.
—Dominic Green, The Washington Examiner, 20 Mar. 2026
The Brownsburg Meijer will have bakery, meat, seafood and deli departments, along with a large pet department, a health and beauty care section, a floral area and a garden center.
—Cheryl V. Jackson, IndyStar, 18 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for deli
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Tom Gavin, EverydayHealth.com, 23 Mar. 2026
Jessi D'Ambrosi, who owns the deli and grew up outside Boston, opened the shop after relocating to the Cotswolds and noticing a growing American presence, news agency SWNS reported.
—Kelly McGreal, FOXNews.com, 21 Mar. 2026
The real American sub, a succulent monster assembled by an artisanal stacker of deli meats and square cheeses, only hit the Old Country when Tommy’s Sandwiches opened in King’s Cross, central London, in January 2026.
—Dominic Green, The Washington Examiner, 20 Mar. 2026
The Brownsburg Meijer will have bakery, meat, seafood and deli departments, along with a large pet department, a health and beauty care section, a floral area and a garden center.
—Cheryl V. Jackson, IndyStar, 18 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for deli
Cite this Entry
“Deli.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/deli. Accessed 29 Mar. 2026.
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