delve

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verb \ ˈdelv \

Definition of delve

delved; delving

transitive verb

archaic :excavate

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

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delver

noun

See delve defined for English-language learners

See delve defined for kids

delve was our Word of the Day on 10/12/2015. Hear the podcast!

Examples of delve in a Sentence

He tried to delve inside his memory for clues about what had happened.

Recent Examples of delve from the Web

Esperanza Spalding presents her latest project Emily's D+Evolution a rekindling of her childhood interest in theater, poetry and movement, which delves into a broader concept of performance.

— katie nodjimbadem, Smithsonian, "Esperanza Spalding’s Pop Culture Loves," 23 Aug. 2017
Tucker views summer learning as a chance to delve deeper into subjects from a student's point of view.

— suzanne baker, Naperville Sun, "What I did on my summer vacation," 11 Aug. 2017
Watching Isaac delve into the role with his conversational yet lyrical delivery, one almost experiences the tale for the first time.

— vanityfair.com, "As Hamlet, Oscar Isaac Proves He’s the Best Actor of His Generation," 14 July 2017
In Dawn, director Matt Reeves delved into the inevitability of conflict, chronicling how fatal miscommunications can crescendo into war.

— richard lawson, HWD, "War for the Planet of the Apes," 12 July 2017
The leaders are expected to delve into a series of vexing foreign policy issues, including the conflict in Syria and Russia’s provocations in Ukraine.

— ken thomas, The Seattle Times, "Trump and Putin to meet at international summit in Germany," 7 July 2017
Taylor, who was born and raised in Mountain Home, traveled the world and spent 20 years as an executive and consultant in the sports and entertainment industry before coming back home to delve into her tour business.

— hailey ross dana oland, idahostatesman, "Indulge in culinary tourism in Boise; celebrate Flying M’s 25th birthday," 6 July 2017
Just like Dolly, 71, several of the Parton sisters delved into singing and acting.

— jessica mattern, Country Living, "Here's What Dolly Parton's Siblings Look Like Today," 6 July 2017
The Return, this video essay delves into some of the baffling and beautiful images from that episode.

— matt miller, Esquire, "Famous David Lynch Scenes Side-By-Side With the Paintings That Inspired Them," 5 July 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'delve.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Digging Up the History of delve

We must dig deep into the English language's past to find the origins of "delve." The verb originated in 9th century Old English as "delfan" and is related to the Old High German word telban, meaning "dig." For some 400 years, there was only delving - no digging - because "dig" didn't exist until the 13th century. 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 as recently as the late 19th century, "dig" was the term for working with a mattock (a tool similar to an adze or a pick), while "delve" was reserved for using a spade.