Word.ws English Dictionary

delft

/ˈdɛlft/[dɛɫft]

delft is the alternative form of Delft.

Noun (1)

delft (plural delfts)

  1. A delf; a mine, quarry, pit or ditch.
    • The delfts would be so flown with waters, that no gins or machines could […] keep them dry.1691, John Ray, The Wisdom of God Manifested in the Works of the Creation. […], London: […] Samuel Smith, […], →OCLC

Proper noun capitalized: Delft

Delft

  1. A city in South Holland, Netherlands known for its production of blue and white pottery.
  2. A municipality of South Holland, Netherlands.

Noun (2) capitalized: Delft

Delft (uncountable)

  1. Blue and white earthenware produced in Delft, Netherlands.
    • Here and there was an Italian cabinet surmounted with Delft, and here and there a bas-relief.1919, W[illiam] Somerset Maugham, “chapter 39”, in The Moon and Sixpence, [New York, N.Y.]: Grosset & Dunlap Publishers […], →OCLC
    • Sepia Delft tiles surrounded the fireplace, their crudely drawn Biblical scenes in faded cyclamen blending with the pinkish pine, while above them, instead of a mantelshelf, there was an archway high enough to form a balcony with slender balusters and a tapestry-hung wall behind.1963, Margery Allingham, chapter 3, in The China Governess: A Mystery, London: Chatto & Windus, →OCLC

Forms of delft

pluraldelfts

Origin of delft

After the Dutch city of Delft.

Borrowed from Dutch Delft. Piecewise doublet of delved.

Phrases with delft

Questions about delft

What does delft mean?
Delft means a delf; a mine, quarry, pit or ditch.
What is delft the alternative form of?
Delft is the alternative form of Delft.
What part of speech is delft?
Delft can be a noun or a proper noun.
How do you pronounce delft?
Delft is pronounced [dɛɫft] (UK).
What is the plural of delft?
The plural of delft is delfts.

Words near delft in the dictionary

  1. Delfina
  2. Delfosse
  3. Delfosses
  4. Delfour
  5. delfs
  6. delft
  7. Delft blue
  8. Delft Colony
  9. delftibactin
  10. delftibactins
  11. delfts

Source and license

Adapted from Wiktionary: delft (page history and authors); Delft (page history and authors). Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws reformatted the entry and added links. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.

Last updated:

Pronunciation audio from Wikimedia Commons, each file under its own free license: LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-delft.wav.

Cite this entry: “delft.” Word.ws, https://word.ws/delft. Based on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.