Delaware

American  

[del-uh-wair] / ˈdɛl əˌwɛər /

noun

plural

Delawares,

plural

Delaware

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.

Etymology

Origin of Delaware

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

Example Sentences

The president visited Dover Air Force Base in Delaware on Wednesday, where the remains of six U.S. service members killed in the crash of a refueling aircraft were returned to their families.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 18, 2026

Although they’re primarily sold in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware, West Coasters may recognize a distant cousin.

From Salon • Mar. 17, 2026

Exxon rival Chevron moved its headquarters from San Ramon, Calif., to Houston at the start of last year, though it remains incorporated in Delaware.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 10, 2026

Worryingly, foreclosure filings in January rose 32% year over year to a total of 40,534 properties, with Delaware, Nevada and Florida among the states with the highest rates.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 7, 2026

Axel is at the Delaware Valley Raptor Sanctuary on a workday, not a member day.

From "A Bird Will Soar" by Alison Green Myers