noun
delicatessen
del-ih-kuh-TESS-un/ˌdelɪkəˈtesn/
A shop offering prepared specialty foods.
The neighborhood delicatessen sells fresh salads, cheeses, and sliced meats.
Etymology
German Delikatesse means a delicacy or fine food; its plural first named the foods themselves in English. The shop sense arose by shortening “delicatessen shop,” transferring the name from the goods to the place selling them.
More examples
- We stop at the delicatessen for sandwiches before our picnic.
- She orders a tray of cold cuts from the delicatessen.
- Two delicatessens on this street make their own potato salad.
Forms
delicatessen · delicatessens
Similar words
- deli
- An informal shortened name for the same kind of shop.