Delaware

noun

Del·​a·​ware ˈde-lə-ˌwer How to pronounce Delaware (audio)
-wər
1
plural Delaware or Delawares : a member of an Indigenous people originally of the Delaware and lower Hudson river valleys
2
: the Algonquian language of the Delaware

Word History

Etymology

Delaware River

First Known Use

1721, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of Delaware was in 1721

Dictionary Entries Near Delaware

Cite this Entry

“Delaware.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Delaware. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

Delaware

noun
Del·​a·​ware ˈdel-ə-ˌwa(ə)r How to pronounce Delaware (audio)
-ˌwe(ə)r,
-wər
plural Delaware or Delawares
: a member of an Indigenous people originally of the Delaware River valley

Geographical Definition

Delaware

geographical name

Del·​a·​ware ˈde-lə-ˌwer How to pronounce Delaware (audio)
-wər
1
river 296 miles (476 kilometers) long in the eastern U.S. flowing south from southern New York state, forming the borders between Pennsylvania and New York, Pennsylvania and New Jersey, and Delaware and New Jersey, and emptying into Delaware Bay
2
state of the eastern U.S. bordering on the Delaware River, Delaware Bay, and the Atlantic; capital Dover area 2057 square miles (5348 square kilometers), population 897,934
3
city in central Ohio north-northwest of Columbus population 34,753
Delawarean noun

More from Merriam-Webster on Delaware

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!