Word · Frequency #11266
delves
挖；掘；翻土
delves is the third person singular of delve.
dig; turn up or loosen earth
探究；查考
In use
The gardener delved the soil with a spade before planting the new rose bushes.
The children are delving in the sandpit, looking for the hidden toy.
Each spring, my aunt delves the vegetable patch to loosen the compacted earth.
delve into sth
以下均为动词用法。delve into 表示深入探究或调查某事物，比 dig 更正式。
The reporter delved into the mayor's financial records.
记者深入调查了市长的财务记录。
delve sth
delve 直接接宾语（如 earth/ground）表示“挖掘、翻松”，这种及物用法较书面。
The worker delved the earth with a shovel.
工人用铲子掘土。
delve for sth
delve for 后接想要找到的东西，强调“挖掘以寻找”。若只说挖掘土地，用第二条。
They delved for ancient coins in the ruins.
他们在废墟中挖掘寻找古币。
Verb forms
base delve · third person delves · -ing delving · past delved · past participle delved
delve 常与 into 搭配，表示深入探究或翻找。
Common mistakes
She delved the details of the case.She delved into the details of the case.
delve 表示“探究、查考”时为不及物动词，不能直接跟宾语；必须先接介词 into 再引出对象。中文的“探究”能直接带宾语，所以中国学习者容易漏掉 into。
He delved in his memory for the answer.He delved into his memory for the answer.
表达“深入翻查、探究”时，固定搭配是 delve into，不可用 in。into 表示进入某一范围仔细寻找，而 in 只表示静态位置，不能构成这个搭配。
Connections
Collocations
- delve into something
- 深入探究某事物
- She delved into the origins of the word.她深入探究了那个词的起源。
- delve deeper
- 进一步深入探究
- The reporter delved deeper into the scandal.记者进一步深入探究了这一丑闻。
- delve into the archives
- 查阅档案进行深入研究
- Researchers delved into the archives to find evidence.研究人员深入查阅档案以寻找证据。
- delve into one's past
- 探究某人的过去
- He delved into his family's past.他仔细探究了家族的过去。
- delve into a subject
- 深入研究一个课题
- The course allows students to delve into a subject of their choice.这门课程让学生深入研究自己选择的课题。
Idioms & figurative uses
Learner notes
Memory Tip
记：delve 像 deep（深）+ 挖的动作，想象往深处挖土，既指翻土挖掘，也引申为深入探究、查考。
Context & Register
语域：formal 常见场景：literary writing、formal prose 该义项表示“挖掘、翻土”，在现代英语中比较罕见，多用于文学作品或正式书面语，语气偏文雅。日常口语中表达同样的意思通常用 dig。
Pronunciation & Spelling
delve rhymes with shelve and twelve (all end with /ɛlv/). valve and solve look similar but sound different: /vælv/ and /sɒlv/. Don't confuse them.
Usage priority
Collins 词频等级为 1，建议结合例句记忆，而不是只背中文释义。
Learn the forms together
页面下方列出了常见词形变化。学习时注意它们在句子中的语法位置。
Dictionary facts from ECDICT, WIKTIONARY.