DELVE

dig, delve, cut into, turn over

(verb) turn up, loosen, or remove earth; “Dig we must”; “turn over the soil for aeration”

Source: WordNet® 3.1

Etymology 1

Verb

delve (third-person singular simple present delves, present participle delving, simple past (obsolete) dalf or delved, past participle (obsolete) dolven or delved)

(intransitive) To dig the ground, especially with a shovel.

(ambitransitive) To search thoroughly and carefully for information, research, dig into, penetrate, fathom, trace out

(ambitransitive) To dig, to excavate.

Synonyms

• (to dig the ground): dig

• (to search thoroughly): investigate, research

Etymology 2

Noun

delve (plural delves)

(now rare) A pit or den.

Anagrams

• devel

Source: Wiktionary

Delve v. t. [imp. & p. p. Delved; p. pr. & vb. n. Delving.] Etym: [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. Delve of convenient depth your thrashing flooDryden.

2. To dig into; to penetrate; to trace out; to fathom. I can not delve him to the root. Shak.

Delve, v. i.

Definition: To dig or labor with a spade, or as with a spade; to labor as a drudge. Delve may I not: I shame to beg. Wyclif (Luke xvi. 3).

Delve, n. Etym: [See Delve, v. t., and cf. Delf a mine.]

Definition: A place dug; a pit; a ditch; a den; a cave. Which to that shady delve him brought at last The very tigers from their delves Look out. Moore.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition