del

[ del ]

/ dɛl /

Save This Word!

(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

WILL YOU SAIL OR STUMBLE ON THESE GRAMMAR QUESTIONS?

Smoothly step over to these common grammar mistakes that trip many people up. Good luck!

Question 1 of 7

Fill in the blank: I can’t figure out _____ gave me this gift.

who

whom

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Words nearby del

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

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