Dictionary

delicatessen en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• (Southern-England) audio
• /ˌdɛlɪkəˈtɛsən/

Etymology

First attested 1864. From German Delikatessen, plural of Delikatesse (“delicacy, fine food”), at the time also spelled Delicatesse(n), from French délicatesse, from délicat (“fine”), from Latin delicatus (“alluring”). The sense of store is more recent, originating in ellipsis from the common attributive use, as in delicatessen shop, delicatessen store, etc.

Meanings

1. (plural, plural-only) Delicacies; exotic or expensive foods.
   • A taxi, after mounting the sidewalk, had finished up with its radiator buried in a pile of delicatessen. 1951, John Wyndham, The Day of the Triffids, Harmondsworth: Penguin Books, published 1954, page 53:
   • I shall have Royal Climax sausages every Tuesday and Saturday. Leave your orders early as there is a demand for these delicious delicatessen. J. W. Galloway. 1902 April 30, “Local and Personal”, in The Chilliwack Progress, 12th year, number 4 (576 overall), Chilliwack, B.C., →ISSN, →OCLC, page [5], column 1:
2. A shop that sells cooked or prepared foods ready for serving.

Forms

Deriveds

deli

Descendants

delicatesen · delicatessen

Relateds

delicacy

Translations (45)

it gastronomia (shop selling prepared foods) · de Delikatessengeschäft (shop selling prepared foods) · sh посластичарница (shop selling prepared foods) · yi דעליקאַטעסן (delicacies) · sv delikatessaffär (shop selling prepared foods) · fr traiteur (shop selling prepared foods) · eo bongustaĵejo (shop selling prepared foods) · eo delicaĵejo (shop selling prepared foods) · yi וווּרשטערײַ (shop selling prepared foods) · mi toa kai-kīnaki (shop selling prepared foods) · sv delikatessbutik (shop selling prepared foods) · de Feinkost (delicacies) · fr épicerie fine (shop selling prepared foods) · sh poslastičarnica (shop selling prepared foods) · cy danteithfa (shop selling prepared foods) · ru гастроно́м (shop selling prepared foods) · de Delikatessen (delicacies) · es delicatessen (delicatesen) (delicacies) · cmn 熟食店 (shop selling prepared foods) · fi herkut (delicacies) · el ντελικατέσεν (delicacies) · ja デリカ (shop selling prepared foods) · yi דעליקאַטעסן (shop selling prepared foods) · sh посластичара (shop selling prepared foods) · da delikatesseforretning (shop selling prepared foods) · de Delikatessenladen (shop selling prepared foods) · ja デリカテッセン (shop selling prepared foods) · ca delicatessen (shop selling prepared foods) · pl delikatesy (shop selling prepared foods) · es fiambrería (shop selling prepared foods) · eo delikataĵejo (shop selling prepared foods) · ja 総菜屋 (shop selling prepared foods) · de Feinkostladen (shop selling prepared foods) · ru деликате́сы (shop selling prepared foods) · fi herkkukauppa (shop selling prepared foods) · sh poslastičara (shop selling prepared foods) · nrf d'licatesses (delicacies) · nb delikatessebutikk (shop selling prepared foods) · eo frandaĵvendejo (shop selling prepared foods) · el ντελικατέσεν (shop selling prepared foods) · es delicatessen (delicatesen) (shop selling prepared foods) · he מַעֲדַנִּיָּה (shop selling prepared foods) · pt delicatessen (shop selling prepared foods) · nn delikatessebutikk (shop selling prepared foods) · da delikatessebutik (shop selling prepared foods)