delve

1 of 2

verb

delved; delving

intransitive verb

1
: to dig or labor with or as if with a spade
delved into her handbag in search of a pen
2
a
: to make a careful or detailed search for information
delved into the past
b
: to examine a subject in detail
the book delves into the latest research
won't delve into her reason for leaving
delver noun

delve

2 of 2

noun

archaic

Did you know?

Digging Up the History of Delve

We must dig deep into the English language’s past to find the origins of delve. The verb traces to the early Old English word delfan meaning “to dig.” For centuries, there was only delving—no digging—because dig didn’t exist until much later; it appears in early Middle English. Given dig and delve’s overlapping meanings today, is the phrase “dig and delve” (as in the line “eleven, twelve, dig and delve,” from the nursery rhyme that begins “one, two, buckle my shoe”) redundant? Not necessarily. According to the Oxford English Dictionary, in some local uses, dig was the term for working with a mattock (a tool similar to an adze or a pick), while delve was reserved for work done using a spade. Although delve has a history of use for literal digging, nowadays the term is often applied to carefully researching or examining something, as in “delving into the past.”

Examples of delve in a Sentence

Verb He tried to delve inside his memory for clues about what had happened. Noun a poem in which a medieval knight encounters a mysterious beauty in a darkened delve
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
Neuralink didn’t delve into technical details about how the implant is functioning inside Arbaugh, or supply a scientific paper on the results. Michael Kan, PCMAG, 22 Mar. 2024 Its Indictment of the Kids TV Industry This Netflix limited series delves into the 1993 standoff between the FBI and members of the Branch Davidian Church outside Waco, Texas. Christian Allaire, Vogue, 22 Mar. 2024 Meanwhile, Xavi delves deep into the tumultuous emotions of a love turned bitter. Griselda Flores, Billboard, 22 Mar. 2024 Made in partnership with iHeart, Rolling Stone’s 500 Greatest Songs finds Brittany and Rob discussing a new song each week, delving into its history and impact with the help of a special guest — including fellow RS colleagues, producers, and the artists themselves. Rob Sheffield, Rolling Stone, 20 Mar. 2024 The model and actress stars alongside Genevieve Gaunt and Georgia Lock in the film, which delves into the story of a young woman seeking to uncover the truth of her friend’s suicide. Amy Woodyatt, CNN, 18 Mar. 2024 But, in an interview posted Monday with former CNN anchor Don Lemon, Musk delves into the reasons why. Alexa Mikhail, Fortune Well, 18 Mar. 2024 But Hawes and the screenwriters steer away from delving into psychological inquiries. Katie Walsh, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 Mar. 2024 On social media, some cosmetic chemists and dermatologists who delved into the study also alleged that there were various factual errors in the paper. Jessica Chia, SELF, 12 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'delve.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Verb and Noun

Middle English, from Old English delfan; akin to Old High German telban to dig

First Known Use

Verb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of delve was before the 12th century

Podcast

Dictionary Entries Near delve

Cite this Entry

“Delve.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/delve. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

delve

verb
ˈdelv
delved; delving
1
: to dig or labor with a spade
2
: to make a careful or thorough search for information
delver noun

More from Merriam-Webster on delve

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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