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
The deli wisely removed the price, but even more wisely kept on selling their summer gold dust to the unwitting.
—James Fallon, Footwear News, 24 May 2025
Of the four women, the youngest juror in the entire pool is a 30-year-old deli clerk who lives with her family in the Bronx.
—Caroline Blair, People.com, 16 May 2025
The two-time Millrose Games indoor 60 meter hurdles champion worked the deli counter at Wal-Mart – during his stay in North Carolina – before his big break.
—Cory Mull, Forbes.com, 16 May 2025
Hometown International ended up having a market capitalization of more than $100 million despite owning just a small money-losing deli in South Jersey.
—Dan Mangan, CNBC, 13 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for deli
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James Fallon, Footwear News, 24 May 2025
Of the four women, the youngest juror in the entire pool is a 30-year-old deli clerk who lives with her family in the Bronx.
—Caroline Blair, People.com, 16 May 2025
The two-time Millrose Games indoor 60 meter hurdles champion worked the deli counter at Wal-Mart – during his stay in North Carolina – before his big break.
—Cory Mull, Forbes.com, 16 May 2025
Hometown International ended up having a market capitalization of more than $100 million despite owning just a small money-losing deli in South Jersey.
—Dan Mangan, CNBC, 13 May 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 7 Jun. 2025.
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