deli
noun
\ ˈde-lē
\
\
plural delis
Definition of deli
: 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