Crossword Dictionary
Delicatessen
delicatessen, deli, food shop - n
a shop selling ready-to-eat food products.
Synonyms
deli
About
Traditionally, a delicatessen or "deli" is a retail establishment that sells a selection of fine, exotic, or foreign prepared foods. Delicatessen originated in Germany (original: Delikatessen) during the 18th century and spread to the United States in the mid-19th century. European immigrants to the United States, especially Ashkenazi Jews, popularized the delicatessen in American culture beginning in the late 19th century. More recently, many larger retail stores like supermarkets have "deli" sections.
etymology
Delicatessen is a German loanword which first appeared in English in the late 19th century and is the plural of Delikatesse. The German form was lent from the French délicatesse, which itself was lent from Italian delicatezza, from delicato, of which the root word is the Latin adjective delicatus, meaning "giving pleasure, delightful, pleasing". The first Americanized short version of this word, deli, came into existence probably after World War II (first evidence from 1948).