delta
the fourth letter of the Greek alphabet (Δ, δ).
the consonant sound represented by this letter.
the fourth in a series of items.
anything triangular, like the Greek capital delta (Δ).
Mathematics. an incremental change in a variable, as Δ or δ.
a nearly flat plain of alluvial deposit between diverging branches of the mouth of a river, often, though not necessarily, triangular: the Nile delta.
Also Delta . a word used in communications to represent the letter D.
Delta, Astronomy. a star that is usually the fourth brightest of a constellation: The fourth brightest star in the Southern Cross is Delta Crucis.
Origin of delta
1Words that may be confused with delta
- delta , estuary
Other definitions for Delta (2 of 2)
the NATO name for a class of nuclear-powered submarines armed with multiple-warhead ballistic missiles, including those designed to strike military and industrial installations: first produced for the Soviet Navy in the 1970s; in service with the Russian Navy since 1992.
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use delta in a sentence
The broad plains formed at the mouth of a river are called deltas, from their resemblance to the Greek letter Δ.
Geology | James GeikieThe term delta, however, is not exclusively applied to fluvio-marine deposits; rivers also form deltas in fresh-water lakes.
Geology | James GeikieThe Meuse and the Rhine form numerous mouths, and their deltas are low and marshy.
The Youthful Wanderer | George H. HeffnerThe deltas of the great rivers afford corroboration to our position as to man's duration.
A Few Words About the Devil | Charles BradlaughDeltas are also formed where streams lose their velocity on entering the still waters of lakes.
The Elements of Geology | William Harmon Norton
British Dictionary definitions for delta (1 of 3)
/ (ˈdɛltə) /
the fourth letter in the Greek alphabet (Δ, δ), a consonant transliterated as d
an object resembling a capital delta in shape
(capital when part of name) the flat alluvial area at the mouth of some rivers where the mainstream splits up into several distributaries: the Mississippi Delta
maths a finite increment in a variable
Origin of delta
1Derived forms of delta
- deltaic (dɛlˈteɪɪk) or deltic, adjective
British Dictionary definitions for Delta (2 of 3)
/ (ˈdɛltə) /
(foll by the genitive case of a specified constellation) usually the fourth brightest star in a constellation
any of a group of US launch vehicles used to put unmanned satellites into orbit
communications a code word for the letter d
British Dictionary definitions for Delta (3 of 3)
/ (ˈdɛltə) /
a state of Nigeria, on the Niger river delta on the Gulf of Guinea. Capital: Asaba. Pop: 4 098 391 (2006). Area: 17 698 sq km (6833 sq miles)
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
Scientific definitions for delta
[ dĕl′tə ]
A usually triangular mass of sediment, especially silt and sand, deposited at the mouth of a river. Deltas form when a river flows into a body of standing water, such as a sea or lake, and deposits large quantities of sediment. They are usually crossed by numerous streams and channels and have exposed as well as submerged areas.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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