was wotd|2007|May|17
English
Etymology
ME. delven, from OE. delfan, "to dig."
Pronunciation
IPA|/d�lv/
audio|en-us-delve.ogg|Audio (US)
rhymes|�lv
Verb
en-verb|delv|ing
- intransitive To dig the ground, especially with a shovel.
#* 1847, w:Emily Brontë|Emily Brontë, Wuthering Heights, chapter 29.
#*: I got a spade from the tool-house, and began to delve with all my might - it scraped the coffin; I fell to work with my hands; the wood commenced cracking about the screws; I was on the point of attaining my object, when it seemed that I heard a sigh from some one above, close at the edge of the grave, and bending down.
- intransitive To search thoroughly and carefully for information.
#: She was intensely eager to delve into the mystery of Mr. Joplin and his brief case.
- transitive To dig, to excavate.
#* 1891, w:Arthur Conan Doyle|Arthur Conan Doyle, The White Company, chapter IV.
#*: Let him take off his plates and delve himself, if delving must be done.
Synonyms
italbrac|to dig the ground: dig
italbrac|to search thoroughly: investigate
Translations
trans-top|to dig in the ground
Dutch: delven
Finnish: kaivaa
trans-mid
Icelandic: grafa#verb|grafa (með skófla|skóflu, with a shovel), moka#icelandic|moka,
trans-bottom
trans-top|to search carefully for information
Finnish: penkoa, tutkia
trans-mid
Icelandic: rannsaka, kanna#Icelandic|kanna
trans-bottom
Derived terms
delver
io:delve
it:delve
hu:delve
fi:delve
te:delve
vi:delve
zh:delve
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