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 Offer a classic butcher shop selling a full range of fresh meats, aged steaks, trademark sausages, and handcrafted deli meats. Susan Selasky, Detroit Free Press, 6 Mar. 2024 Certain foods, including soft cheeses, deli meats, melons, and raw milk products, carry a higher risk of being contaminated with Listeria. Brian Mastroianni, Health, 29 Feb. 2024 The dairy was sold at stores like Whole Foods, Walmart, Harris Teeter, Sam’s Club, as well as some local deli counters. Jenna Ryu, SELF, 7 Feb. 2024 The products were also sold at deli counters at retailers including El Super, Cardenas Market, Northgate Gonzalez, Superior Groceries, El Rancho, Vallarta, Food City, La Michoacana, and Numero Uno Markets. Kate Gibson, CBS News, 6 Feb. 2024 Just below rows of energy and kombucha drinks at Westside Market, a deli in the Chelsea neighborhood of Manhattan, sit a few glass bottles of Vybes. Julie Creswell, New York Times, 28 Feb. 2024 He is survived by none of the restaurants or the deli that made his name. Tim Carman, Washington Post, 23 Feb. 2024 Inside the deli is nearly 1,000 square feet of space and the building sits on a 5,000- to 7,000-square-foot lot. Susan Selasky, Detroit Free Press, 19 Feb. 2024 Pick up a rotisserie chicken from your supermarket deli to get this pasta salad on the table in a flash. Southern Living Editors, Southern Living, 16 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'deli.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1948, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of deli was in 1948

Dictionary Entries Near deli

Cite this Entry

“Deli.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/deli. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

deli

noun
plural delis
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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