delicatessen

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delicatessen

/ˌdɛlɪkəˈtɛsən/

Where it comes from

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.

noun delicatessens · delikatessen

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

noun delikatessen

plural, plural only Delicacies; exotic or expensive foods. 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.

Translations

Every language

noun shop selling prepared foods

Español	delicatessen (delicatesen), fiambrería
日本語	デリカテッセン derikatessen, 総菜屋 sōzaiya, デリカ
中文	熟食店 shúshídiàn
Português	delicatessen
Français	traiteur, épicerie fine
Deutsch	Feinkostladen, Delikatessengeschäft, Delikatessenladen
Italiano	gastronomia
Ελληνικά	ντελικατέσεν ntelikatésen
Русский	гастроно́м gastronóm, деликате́сы delikatɛ́sy
עברית	מַעֲדַנִּיָּה ma'adaniyá

noun delicacies

Español	delicatessen (delicatesen)
Deutsch	Delikatessen, Feinkost
Ελληνικά	ντελικατέσεν ntelikatésen

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MLA

"delicatessen." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/delicatessen. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.

APA

delicatessen. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/delicatessen

Chicago

"delicatessen." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/delicatessen.

BibTeX

@misc{delicatessen_2026,
  title = {delicatessen},
  howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://micwyn.com/word/delicatessen},
  urldate = {2026-11-06}
}