delve

verb \ ˈdelv \

|Updated on: 8 Jun 2018

Examples: delve in a Sentence

Editor's Note: Digging Up the History of delve

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

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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

Healthcare inequities today The Data Center's report also delves into some of the factors that have an effect on health access for New Orleans residents today, including education, employment, household wages and the child poverty rate.

— maria clark, NOLA.com, "Inequity in New Orleans' health system has adversely affected black New Orleanians, report says," 30 May 2018
The 17-year high was revealed in a new report released by the bureau that delves into active shootings throughout 2016 and 2017, the gunmen and the carnage that's left behind.

— christal hayes, USA TODAY, "FBI: More active shooting incidents in 2017 than any other year recorded," 4 May 2018
The study also delves into the analysis of plant DNA, which included cherries, pears, cabbages, buckwheat and other edible plants.

— marissa fessenden, Smithsonian, "DNA from Ancient Latrines Reveal What People Ate Centuries Ago," 4 May 2018
Amy Brittain and Irin Carmon also delved into just how widespread Rose’s behavior was, who exactly at CBS News was made aware of Rose’s alleged behavior, and how the allegations were handled internally.

— lisa ryan, The Cut, "The Biggest Bombshells From the New Charlie Rose Sexual-Harassment Exposé," 3 May 2018
Comey's book also delves into his decision to publicly reopen the FBI's investigation into Clinton's emails days before the 2016 election, a move that Clinton and her supporters viewed as crucial to her eventual loss to Trump.

— martin vassolo, miamiherald, "James Comey rails on NRA, says he'd be a 'crappy candidate' in Miami book tour appearance | Miami Herald," 2 May 2018
The new series will reportedly consist of comedic commentary, interviews, and segments that delve into Philipps' social media musings on her Instagram Stories, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

— eileen reslen, Marie Claire, "Busy Philipps Lands Her Own Late-Night Talk Show on E!," 1 May 2018
Season two will also feature an accompanying after-show called Beyond the Reasons that will reportedly delve into sensitive topics and include resources for fans.

— lauren rearick, Teen Vogue, ""13 Reasons Why" Viewers Are Analyzing Season 2 Trailers for Clues," 1 May 2018
Since then, the company has been the focus of investigations by law enforcement and congressional committees that are delving into Russian interference in the election.

— cecilia kang, BostonGlobe.com, "Facebook says Cambridge Analytica harvested data of up to 87 million users," 5 Apr. 2018

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.