Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

delicatessen

/ˌdɛlɪkəˈtɛsən/

Word Rarity Very rare

Frequency: 2.48 in modern English

Syllables: del-i-catessen
IPA: /ˌdɛlɪkəˈtɛsən/

15

Scrabble Score

12

Letters

5

Syllables

9

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

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

noun

Delicacies; exotic or expensive foods.

Example Sentences

"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."
"A taxi, after mounting the sidewalk, had finished up with its radiator buried in a pile of delicatessen."

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.

Origin

Source language: German

Word Breakdown

Root: Delikatessen, délicatesse, delicatus

Inflected Forms

delicatessens (plural) delikatessen (alternative)

Derived Forms

deli

Frequently Paired Words

delicacy

Synonyms

deli food shop delicatessen food

Rhymes With

lesson lessen wesson essen besson cresson chesson hesson presson dressen creson

Questions

How do you pronounce delicatessen?: The recorded pronunciation is /ˌdɛlɪkəˈtɛsən/.
What does delicatessen mean?: A shop that sells cooked or prepared foods ready for serving.
Where does delicatessen come from?: It is traced to German.

How to pronounce delicatessen

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “delicatessen”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/ˌdɛlɪkəˈtɛsən/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
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Repeat and practice — Say “delicatessen” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.