Delta Meaning
/ˈdɛltə/Definition, CEFR level B1, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
Listen pronunciation
Definition
nounThe fourth letter of the modern Greek alphabet Δ, δ.
nounA landform at the mouth of a river where it empties into a body of water.
Sentence Examples
In 2008, Delta and Northwest airlines united to form the world's largest airline.
The Mississippi delta has changed shape drastically over the course of its history.
CEFR Practice Quiz
The Mississippi River creates a vast ____ that supports diverse wildlife.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
In 2008, ____ and Northwest airlines united to form the world's largest airline.
Word Origin & History
From Ancient Greek δέλτα (délta), borrowed from a Phoenician word for "door", ultimately from Proto-Semitic *dalt-. Doublet of dalet. * (river): from the triangular shape of the majuscule Greek letter delta Δ * (USSF): from the delta wing, symbol of the USSF, a triangular wing, shaped like the majuscule Greek letter delta Δ
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"Turingery worked on deltaed key to produce the deltaed contribution of the chi-wheels. Turing's discovery that delta-ing would reveal information otherwise hidden was essential to the developments that followed."
— 2007, B. J. Copeland, “Tunny and Colossus: Breaking the Lorenz Schlüsselzusatz traffic”, in Karl de Leeuw, Jan Bergstra, editors, The History of Information Security: A Comprehensive Handbook, Amsterdam: Elsevier, →ISBN, page 458:
"The primary function of this command is to delta the product version file (if it has been retrieved for edit). However, prior to deltaing the product version file, the work source tree is searched to verify that no other source files are still waiting to be deltaed."
— 1992, Israel Silverberg, Source File Management With SCCS, Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall, →ISBN, page 166:
"The xʷəxʷilməxʷ (Indigenous Peoples) recognized how the meeting of the təməxʷ (land), stal̓əw̓ (river), and k̓ʷaƛ̓k̓ʷa (sea) could provide an abundance of access to seasonal resources, as well as provide a more permanent residence for the scəw̓aθən məsteyəxʷ (Tsawwassen Peoples). The features of this landscape are part of what makes Delta a beautiful place for all to enjoy today."
— 2021 August 8, “Delta, TFN unveil new interpretive sign”, in Delta Optimist:
"Delta is moderately resistant to vaccines, particularly in people who have received just a single dose."
— 2021 June 22, “Delta coronavirus variant: scientists brace for impact”, in Nature:
Explore More B1 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
The Mississippi River creates a vast ____ that supports diverse wildlife.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
In 2008, ____ and Northwest airlines united to form the world's largest airline.