delvedelve /delv/ verb [intransitive] 
research that delves deeply into this issue2[always + adverb/preposition] to search for something by putting your hand deeply into a bag, container etcdelve into/in He delved into his pocket and brought out a notebook.
WORD ORIGINdelve
Origin:
Old English delfan ‘to dig’VERB TABLE
delve
| Simple Form | ||
| Present | I, you, we, they | delve |
| he, she, it | delves | |
| Past | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | delved |
| Present perfect | I, you, we, they | have delved |
| he, she, it | has delved | |
| Past perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | had delved |
| Future | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will delve |
| Future perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will have delved |
| Continuous Form | ||
| Present | I | am delving |
| he, she, it | is delving | |
| you, we, they | are delving | |
| Past | I, he, she, it | was delving |
| you, we, they | were delving | |
| Present perfect | I, you, we, they | have been delving |
| he, she, it | has been delving | |
| Past perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | had been delving |
| Future | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will be delving |
| Future perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will have been delving |
EXAMPLES FROM THE CORPUS
- For 13 years, she delved assiduously.
- No one was to be called upon to delve too deeply into his pocket, it was agreed.
- So I delved beneath my anorak and pulled out a corner of shirt.
- This man would want to know everything, would delve and dig, and not be satisfied with surface explanations.
- To delve into interface design further, consider video on-demand.
- We shall need also to delve into the foundations of mathematics, and even to question the very nature of physical reality.
- While some contributions amount to little more than a description of manufacturers' software, others delve into the concepts and methodologies.
- Yet here the counsellor faces the problem of whether to delve into the difficult past, or to leave it alone.
THESAURUS
to try to find out the truth about something such as a crime, accident, or scientific problem: · Police are investigating an explosion in the city centre.· The aim of the study is to investigate how climate change is affecting animal behaviour.· There were fears he may have drowned in the lake, so divers were sent down to investigate.
to find out more about a problem, especially after someone has asked you to do this: · The manager promised to look into my complaint.· Please could you look into the matter for me?
to consider or discuss something, in order to help you decide what you should do: · Military leaders are exploring new ways of defending the United States from terrorism.· I’m going to explore the possibility of a part-time job.
[intransitive, transitive] to try to find secret or hidden information, especially by asking questions: · The press began probing into the actor’s private life.· We have been probing the reasons why the government has been so slow to react to the problem of climate change.
[intransitive] to look somewhere in order to try to find more information about something, especially something that is difficult to find out about: · Over the past year Ms Deen has been delving into the national archives, in order to discover information on the early Muslim settlers.· I think we need to delve a little deeper.
if someone or their activities are under investigation, the police are trying to find out if they have done something illegal: · Several public figures are under investigation for corruption.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE ENTRY research that delves deeply into this issueCOLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSADVERB
1to try to find more information about someone or somethingdelve into research that delves deeply into this issue· And I began to discover some recent local history as I delved deeper into this pit of hell.· But he delved deeper and discovered that the thirteen genders were arranged in a hierarchy.· He delved deeper in Judi's memories.· As it went on, Atkinson's routine delved deeper into meaninglessness.· But as a text oriented towards the practitioner it does not delve deeper than what would be already known by the reader.
· We delve deeply into the psyche for memories of past experience and sensation to judge any work of art.· The movie delves deeply into the issues of violence and its consequences.· That leaves the weapons connection, but it is inappropriate for the Sizewell inquiry to delve deeply into this issue.· Researchers, too, can sometimes be carried away in delving deeply into some issue in the minutest detail.
research that delves deeply into this issue2[always + adverb/preposition] to search for something by putting your hand deeply into a bag, container etcdelve into/in He delved into his pocket and brought out a notebook.