delve

1 of 2

verb

ˈdelv 

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

delver noun

delve

2 of 2

noun

archaic

: cave, hollow

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

Verb

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

Noun

• antre
• cave
• cavern
• grot
• grotto

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 film once again delves into the world of the illusionists and the bickering and sneaky quartet known as the Four Horsemen. —Borys Kit, The Hollywood Reporter, 16 Apr. 2024

Home decor was the next obvious choice to delve into. —Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 16 Apr. 2024

Her inquisitiveness led her to delve deep into the recipes and flavors that make this part of France so distinct, including a taste for blending savory and sweet flavors as in the sweet Swiss chard pie, or tourte de blettes sucrée, seen in many traditional Niçoise bakeries. —Laurie Ochoa, Los Angeles Times, 12 Apr. 2024

The film also delves into the clothing quality, which one former store owner contends is poor. —Jordan Greene, Peoplemag, 9 Apr. 2024

McDonald delves into pop culture on her podcast – from all things Hollywood, celebrity romances, Bravo TV and even her real-life drama. —Selena Kuznikov, Variety, 9 Apr. 2024

Along with language learning, students also delve into civics and citizenship. —Brenna Gauchat, The Arizona Republic, 7 Apr. 2024

Aiden's sickness would very quickly delve into serious matters when he was diagnosed with Dextrocardia and Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome, both heart conditions present at birth. —Olivia Evans, The Courier-Journal, 4 Apr. 2024

Relive lost moments of sports history, delve into the world of the extrasensory, explore the eccentricity of ‘Devo,’ be inspired by the story of Christopher Reeve. —Addie Morfoot, Variety, 3 Apr. 2024

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

Podcast

Get Word of the Day delivered to your inbox!

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