1. A shop that sells cooked or prepared foods ready for serving.
2. Ready-to-serve foods such as cheeses, cold cooked meats, and salads.

[German Delikatessen, from pl. of Delikatesse, delicacy, from French délicatesse, from Italian delicatezza, from delicato, delicate, dainty, from Latin dēlicātus, pleasing. See delicate.]

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.