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delf

delf

9.9
A hole dug in the ground to get stone or clay
  • noun
  • /dɛlf/
  • Archaic
translation icon : excavación
  • Walking past the old delf, he recalled stories of miners who once worked there.

Examples

  • They sourced the clay for the bricks from a local delf.

  • The workers dug deep into the delf for clay.

  • The abandoned delf had filled with water after years of disuse.

  • Many ancient delfs are now historical sites.

  • The workers dug a large delf to extract the clay used for pottery.

  • In the old quarry, we found traces of a delf that once supplied stone for the nearby buildings.

  • The local artist visited the delf to gather the materials needed for her sculpture.

Synonyms

dig
vsdelf
60 3.9

A place where people remove earth to find old objects

denotes pits especially intended for removing stone clay or similar materials
quarry
vsdelf
55 4.9

An open place in the ground where people remove stone

is a broader term for such pits and other excavations
excavation
vsdelf
9 5.4

A hole in the ground made by digging, often for building or finding old things

is narrower, referring to pits made to mine stone clay or other materials
gravel pit
vsdelf
4 3.6

A hole in the ground where people dig gravel for building

is used for pits removing many kinds of materials not just gravel
diggings
vsdelf
  • Archaic
8.4

An area where people dig for minerals or ancient objects

focuses on pits dug for mining stone clay or other materials
digs
vsdelf
  • Specialized
8.1

A place where people dig to find old objects or valuable stones

is used for pits mainly dug to extract building or raw materials

How Big

delf
  • Archaic
9.9
pit
230 3.6

Surface Forms

delf singular
delfs plural

Etymology

The word delf comes from an old word meaning 'to dig' and is the same root as the common word delve. So a delf is a place that has been dug out to get stone or clay, in other words a quarry or pit.