Meaning & use
delta
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Meanings
nouncountable
A triangular area of land formed where a river deposits sediment as it meets a sea or lake.
Grammar: Countable: you can say 'a delta', 'the Nile Delta', or 'deltas' for more than one.
Patterns
- the delta of a river
- a river delta
- the Nile Delta
The Nile Delta is one of the most fertile regions in Egypt.
The river forms a large delta before it flows into the sea.
Many species of birds live in the delta.
nouncountable
The fourth letter of the Greek alphabet, written as Δ or δ.
Grammar: Countable: 'a delta', 'the delta', 'deltas'.
Patterns
- the Greek letter delta
- delta (Δ)
In the Greek alphabet, delta comes after gamma.
The symbol for delta is Δ in uppercase and δ in lowercase.
nouncountabletechnical
A difference or change in a value, often represented by the Greek letter delta.
Grammar: Used in mathematics and science; often followed by 'in' or 'of'.
Patterns
- delta in something
- delta of something
- delta T
The delta in temperature between day and night was 15 degrees.
Engineers measure the delta to see how much the pressure has changed.
A positive delta means an increase.
Word forms
| plural | deltas |
|---|
Common combinations
- river delta
- The Mississippi River delta is shrinking due to erosion.
- delta region
- The delta region is known for its rich soil and fishing industry.
- Nile Delta
- The Nile Delta is densely populated.
- delta wing
- The fighter jet has a delta wing design.
- delta force
- Delta Force is a special operations unit.
Synonyms and how they differ
- estuary
- An estuary is the tidal mouth of a river, where fresh water meets salt water; a delta is specifically the land formed by sediment, often triangular.
Word family
- deltaic adjective
- Relating to a delta, e.g. 'deltaic deposits'.
Commonly confused: delta or deltoid?
delta vs deltoid
Deltoid refers to a muscle or the triangular shape; delta is the landform or Greek letter.
Practice
The river slowed down as it reached the sea, dropping mud and sand to form a large ___.
Choose one answer.
A delta is the land formed by sediment where a river meets a sea or lake. An estuary is the tidal mouth itself, a tributary is a smaller river flowing into a larger one, and a peninsula is land surrounded by water on three sides.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “delta”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.