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
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
One of the four men killed when a fishing boat overturned off the coast of Queens and was a beloved father of three who owned a popular neighborhood deli.
—Ellen Moynihan, New York Daily News, 26 Feb. 2025
Other retail can include a coffee chain, mailbox store, pharmacy (if not built into the supermarket), health clinic and café/deli/takeout spot.
—Jamie Gold, Forbes, 25 Feb. 2025
In 2010 the company expanded the location in Costa Mesa, enlarging its cafe, oyster bar and deli section.
—Samantha Gowen, Orange County Register, 25 Feb. 2025
Employment opportunities at the new location include cashiers, courtesy clerks, department managers, assistant department managers, deli clerks, grocery clerks, meat and seafood clerks, and clerks in various departments such as produce, bakery and vitamins and body care.
—Jessica Alvarado Gamez, The Denver Post, 24 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for deli
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Ellen Moynihan, New York Daily News, 26 Feb. 2025
Other retail can include a coffee chain, mailbox store, pharmacy (if not built into the supermarket), health clinic and café/deli/takeout spot.
—Jamie Gold, Forbes, 25 Feb. 2025
In 2010 the company expanded the location in Costa Mesa, enlarging its cafe, oyster bar and deli section.
—Samantha Gowen, Orange County Register, 25 Feb. 2025
Employment opportunities at the new location include cashiers, courtesy clerks, department managers, assistant department managers, deli clerks, grocery clerks, meat and seafood clerks, and clerks in various departments such as produce, bakery and vitamins and body care.
—Jessica Alvarado Gamez, The Denver Post, 24 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for deli
Cite this Entry
“Deli.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/deli. Accessed 3 Mar. 2025.
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