del

[ del ]

/ dɛl /

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(in names of Spanish derivation) a contraction of de and the article el:Estanislao del Campo.

(in names of Italian derivation) a contraction of di and the article il: Giovanni del Monte.

QUIZ

SHALL WE PLAY A "SHALL" VS. "SHOULD" CHALLENGE?

Should you take this quiz on “shall” versus “should”? It should prove to be a quick challenge!

Question 1 of 6

Which form is used to state an obligation or duty someone has?

shall

should

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Words nearby del

de Klerk, de Kooning, de Kooning, Willem, De Koven, de Kruif, del, de la Beche, delabialization, delabialize, delacrimation, Delacroix

Other definitions for del (2 of 4)

del²

[ del ]

/ dɛl /

noun Mathematics.

a differential operator. Symbol: ∇

Origin of del

First recorded in 1900–05; short form of delta

Other definitions for del (3 of 4)

del.

abbreviation

delegate; delegation.

delete; deletion.

delineavit.

Other definitions for del (4 of 4)

Del.

abbreviation

Delaware.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use del in a sentence

To compare, Lana Del Rey sold over 100,000 copies that same week.
The Biggest Bombs of 2014: ‘Sex Tape,’ Mariah Carey’s Vocals, ‘How I Met Your Mother’ and More|Kevin Fallon|December 19, 2014|DAILY BEAST
For Big Eyes, you commissioned a pair of songs by Lana Del Rey.
Tim Burton Talks ‘Big Eyes,’ His Taste For the Macabre, and the ‘Beetlejuice’ Sequel|Marlow Stern|December 17, 2014|DAILY BEAST
I was hunkered down in my seat in the Municipalidad del Cuzco and thrilled—my heart was beating so fast!
The Real-Life Raiders of the Lost Ark|Alex Belth|November 14, 2014|DAILY BEAST
“The horror film is a very political genre,” writer/director Guillermo del Toro said in an interview with Time magazine in 2011.
Here’s Why Your Favorite Horror Movies Are So Left-Wing|Asawin Suebsaeng|October 31, 2014|DAILY BEAST

The cabin styling was in the hands of Frank Del Giudice, a designer based in New York at a company called Walter Dorwin Teague.
The Sexy Dream of the 747|Clive Irving|October 26, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Two of these pictures are in the Museo del Prado, at Madrid.
Women in the fine arts, from the Seventh Century B.C. to the Twentieth Century A.D.|Clara Erskine Clement
A writer gives the following account of the love the Terra Del Fuegians have for tobacco.
Tobacco; Its History, Varieties, Culture, Manufacture and Commerce|E. R. Billings.
In Havana, were a man to ask for a Flor del Fumar, the dealer would ask him what size he wanted.
Tobacco; Its History, Varieties, Culture, Manufacture and Commerce|E. R. Billings.
General Pio del Pilar slept in the city every night, ready to give the rocket-signal for revolt.
The Philippine Islands|John Foreman
We were constantly so near Terra del Fuego that we could make out every bush with the naked eye.
A Woman's Journey Round the World|Ida Pfeiffer

British Dictionary definitions for del (1 of 3)

del

/ (dɛl) /

noun

maths the differential operator i (∂/∂ x) + j (∂/∂ y) + k (∂/∂ z), where i, j, and k are unit vectors in the x, y, and z directionsSymbol: ∇ Also called: nabla

British Dictionary definitions for del (2 of 3)

del.

abbreviation for

delegate

British Dictionary definitions for del (3 of 3)

Del.

abbreviation for

Delaware

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012