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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Verb
Following the collapse of the USSR, historians and cultural critics delved into negative aspects of Soviet rule that had previously been publicly unspeakable. Livia Gershon, JSTOR Daily, 20 May 2025 The conversation, led by Lindsay Peoples, delved into the evolving intersection of sport, fashion, and identity, a topic Harrison is no stranger to. Karissa Mitchell, Essence, 19 May 2025 Two years later, Starz announced that Origins — which would delve into Ghost and Tommy’s backstories, and presumably follow the events of Raising Kanan — was in the works, and remains in active development as of press time. Ryan Schwartz, TVLine, 16 May 2025 The collection comes after an announcement last year that Crocs was looking to delve deeper into the accessories realm with the help of a licensing deal with Concept One Accessories. Jaden Thompson, Footwear News, 15 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for delve

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

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Cite this Entry

“Delve.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/delve. Accessed 24 May. 2025.

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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