[1] : The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48

delve \delve\, v. i.
   to dig or labor with a spade, or as with a spade; to labor as
   a drudge.
   1913 webster

         delve may i not: i shame to beg.         --wyclif luke
                                                  xvi. 3.
   1913 webster

[2] : The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48

delve \delve\, n. see delve, v. t., and cf. delf a mine.
   a place dug; a pit; a ditch; a den; a cave.
   1913 webster

         which to that shady delve him brought at last.
   --spenser.
   1913 webster

         the very tigers from their delves
         look out.                                --moore.
   1913 webster
see also:
delve delf 

[3] : The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48

delve \delve\v. t. imp.  p. p. delved; p. pr.  vb. n.
   delving. as. delfan to dig; akin to os. bidelban to bury,
   d. delven to dig, mhg. telben, and possibly to e. dale. cf.
   delf a mine.
   1. to dig; to open the ground as with a spade.
      1913 webster

            delve of convenient depth your thrashing floor.
                                                  --dryden.
      1913 webster

   2. to dig into; to penetrate; to trace out; to fathom.
      1913 webster

            i can not delve him to the root.      --shak.
      1913 webster
see also:
delved delving delf 

[4] : The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48

delf \delf\ de^lf, n. as. delf a delving, digging. see
   delve.
   a mine; a quarry; a pit dug; a ditch. written also delft,
   and delve. obs.
   1913 webster

         the delfts would be so flown with waters, that no gins
         or machines could . . . keep them dry.   --ray.
   1913 webster
see also:
delve delft delve 

[5] : WordNet (r) 2.0

delve
     v : turn up, loosen, or remove earth; "dig we must"; "turn over
         the soil for aeration" syn: dig, cut into, turn
         over
see also:
dig cut into turn over 

[6] : Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0

76 moby thesaurus words for "delve":
   backset, beat the bushes, bore, burrow, cavity, cultivate, culture,
   cut, dig, dig out, dike, dredge, dress, drill, drive, excavate,
   explore, fallow, fertilize, forage, force, frisk, furrow,
   go through, gouge, gouge out, groove, grub, harrow, hoe, hollow,
   hunt, list, look around, look round, look through, lower, mine,
   mulch, nose around, plow, pocket, poke, poke around, prune, pry,
   quarry, rake, research, root, sap, scoop, scoop out, scrabble,
   scrape, scratch, search, search through, shovel, sink,
   smell around, spade, thin, thin out, till, till the soil, trench,
   trough, tunnel, vacancy, vacuity, vacuum, void, weed, weed out,
   work

Delve >> D Words
Delve, definition of term: Delve
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