Delaware

American  

[del-uh-wair] / ˈdɛl əˌwɛər /

noun

Delawares, plural Delaware plural

1. Baron. De La Warr, 12th Baron.

2. a state in the eastern United States, on the Atlantic coast. 2,057 square miles (5,330 square kilometers). Dover. DE (for use with zip code), Del.

3. a city in central Ohio.

4. a river flowing south from southeastern New York, along the boundary between Pennsylvania and New Jersey, into the Delaware Bay. 296 miles (475 kilometers) long.

5. a member of a grouping of North American Indian peoples, comprising the Munsee, Unami, and Unalachtigo, formerly occupying the drainage basin of the Delaware River, the lower Hudson River valley, and the intervening area.

6. the Eastern Algonquian language of any of the Delaware peoples.

7. Horticulture.

   1. a red vinifera grape grown for table use that yields a white wine.

   2. the vine bearing this fruit.

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Delaware ¹ British  

/ ˈdɛləˌwɛə /

noun

1. Abbreviation: Del..   DE.  a state of the northeastern US, on the Delmarva Peninsula: mostly flat and low-lying, with hills in the extreme north and cypress swamps in the extreme south. Capital: Dover. Pop: 817 491 (2003 est). Area: 5004 sq km (1932 sq miles)

2. a river in the northeastern US, rising in the Catskill Mountains and flowing south into Delaware Bay , an inlet of the Atlantic. Length 660 km (410 miles)

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Delaware ² British  

/ ˈdɛləˌwɛə /

noun

1. a member of a North American Indian people formerly living near the Delaware River

2. the language of this people, belonging to the Algonquian family

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Delaware ³ British  

/ ˈdɛləˌwɛə /

noun

1. an American variety of grape that has sweet light red fruit

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Delaware Cultural  

1. State in the eastern United States bordered by Pennsylvania to the north, Delaware Bay and the Atlantic Ocean to the east, and Maryland to the west and south. Its capital is Dover, and its largest city is Wilmington.

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Discover More

One of the thirteen colonies.

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• Delaware
  plural
• Delawares
  plural

Etymology

Origin of Delaware

First recorded in 1720–30 in reference to the American Indian peoples

Example Sentences

A Delaware court ruled JPMorgan must continue paying legal fees for Charlie Javice, who was convicted of defrauding the bank.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jul. 2, 2026

After the loss of Fort Washington, the Continental Army beat a panicked retreat from Fort Lee south through New Jersey, across the Delaware River and into Pennsylvania.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 29, 2026

That rate is higher than every state other than Delaware.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 25, 2026

According to testimony from the Delaware case, the company allowed Chinese investors to buy stakes in SpaceX so long as the money was routed through the Cayman Islands or other offshore secrecy hubs.

From Salon • Jun. 19, 2026

He continued to expand the search, activating manhunters in Delaware and Pennsylvania.

From "Chasing Lincoln's Killer" by James L. Swanson