delve

verb

\ ˈdelv

delved; delving

Definition of delve

(Entry 1 of 2)

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

2a : 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

delve

noun

Definition of delve (Entry 2 of 2)

archaic

: cave, hollow

Other Words from delve Synonyms Digging Up the History of Delve More Example Sentences Learn More about delve

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Synonyms for delve

Synonyms: Noun

antre, cave, cavern, grot, grotto

Digging Up the History of Delve

Verb

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.

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

The 2018 film delves deeper into each of the characters' individual trials and tribulations, and of course, features an instantly iconic soundtrack. — Heather Finn, Good Housekeeping, "What Is 'A Star Is Born' Really About? Here's a Look at All 4 Versions of the Movie," 24 Feb. 2019 Abramson’s book delves into the erosion — or outright dismissal — of facts and fact-checking, something that The Washington Post and The New York Times do every time President Donald Trump speaks. — Nicole Brodeur, The Seattle Times, "Jill Abramson is dealing with every journalist’s biggest nightmare," 20 Feb. 2019 Classes delve into the finer points of chatting with a crush. — Mary Ryu, WSJ, "Failing at Love? Maybe It’s Time for Classes," 15 Feb. 2019 To keep the brand’s history intact, the duo delved into the archives. — Liana Satenstein, Vogue, "Eckhaus Latta Reimagines the Ugg With a Deliciously Square Toe," 9 Feb. 2019 Especially now that more luxury brands are delving into activewear collaborations like this. — Lauren Alexis Fisher, Harper's BAZAAR, "Victoria Beckham Was Her Own Muse for Her Reebok Collection," 24 Jan. 2019 Beneath the partisan posturing and fiery monologues, a House hearing Thursday on FBI agent Peter Strzok’s conduct delved into some key factual questions. — Alana Abramson, Time, "3 Moments That Actually Mattered at the Peter Strzok Hearing," 13 July 2018 Earlier this fall, New Hampshire Public Radio reporter Jason Moon delved into the Bear Brook case with a seven-episode series that sought to untangle the case and its various angles. — Andrew Liptak, The Verge, "Two bodies were discovered in a barrel deep in a New Hampshire forest," 18 Nov. 2018 Instead of delving into the details, let’s put it like this: the wavelength and intensity profile of a laser beam creates a pot that holds the BEC. — Chris Lee, Ars Technica, "Donut-shaped BEC might be key to fault-protected quantum logic," 5 Nov. 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.