delve

1 of 3

verb

ˈdelv 

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

transitive verb

archaic : excavate

delver noun

delve

2 of 3

noun (1)

archaic

: cave, hollow

delver

3 of 3

noun (2)

delv·​er

-və(r)

plural -s

: one that delves (such as a device for clearing ditches)

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.”

Synonyms of delve

Verb

• explore
• look (into)
• investigate
• inquire (into)
• examine
• dig (into)

Noun (1)

• cave
• cavern
• grotto

Examples of delve in a Sentence

Verb

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

Noun (1)

a poem in which a medieval knight encounters a mysterious beauty in a darkened delve

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

The episode begins by delving into how the Manhunter holds so much sway over the people of Rushville. — Joe Otterson, Variety, 14 Sep. 2026

And to delve into a book written about him, The Man in the Red Bandana, the Rinaldi book, that's helpful for our students, watching that ESPN documentary, that's helpful for our students. — Dana Taylor, USA Today, 10 Sep. 2026

The longer the film delves into his DOGE reign of terror, the more the question of why — and how, exactly, all that seized data his team procured is going to be used eventually — gives you a sense of free fall. — David Fear, Rolling Stone, 10 Sep. 2026

Moving through memory, death, altered consciousness, addiction, violence, fate, and the supernatural, these works delve into what happens when familiar boundaries begin to blur. — Sarah Shachat, IndieWire, 8 Sep. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Verb and Noun (1)

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

Noun (2)

Middle English, from Old English delfere, from delfan to dig + -ere -er

First Known Use

Verb

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

Noun (1)

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for delve

• shelve
• twelve

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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