Standard Lemma guide

deli

name · noun · 4 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • /ˈdɛli/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • homophone: Delhi
  • rhymes with -ɛli
  • CMU ARPABET: D EH1 L IY0 Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

name

Meaning 1

A surname.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

A shop that sells cooked or prepared food ready for serving.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: informal

Examples

  • Delis usually offer a broader, fresher menu than fast food chains.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

Food sold at a delicatessen.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: informal

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

a shop selling ready-to-eat food products

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: delicatessen, food shop

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: shop, store

Narrower terms: charcuterie

History

Etymology

Attested since 1954. Clipping of delicatessen, from German Delikatessen, plural of Delikatesse (“delicacy, fine food”), from French délicatesse, derived from the adjective délicat, from Latin delicatus.

Across languages

Translations

11 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Chinese Mandarin: 熟食店 (shúshídiàn) — shop that sells cooked or prepared food ready for serving
  • Danish: delikatessebutik — shop that sells cooked or prepared food ready for serving
  • Danish: delikatesseforretning — shop that sells cooked or prepared food ready for serving
  • Finnish: deli — shop that sells cooked or prepared food ready for serving
  • Norwegian Bokmål: delikatessebutikk — shop that sells cooked or prepared food ready for serving
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: delikatessebutikk — shop that sells cooked or prepared food ready for serving
  • Russian: гастроно́м (gastronóm) — shop that sells cooked or prepared food ready for serving
  • Russian: деликате́сы (delikatɛ́sy) — shop that sells cooked or prepared food ready for serving
  • Swedish: delikatessaffär — shop that sells cooked or prepared food ready for serving
  • Welsh: danteithfa — shop that sells cooked or prepared food ready for serving
  • Finnish: deli-ruoka — food sold at a delicatessen