Delta - Definition, Meaning & Synonyms

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SKIP TO CONTENT delta /ˈdɛltə/ /ˈdɛltə/ IPA guide

Other forms: deltas

Named for the fourth letter of the Greek alphabet (shaped like a triangle), a delta is a triangular area where a major river divides into several smaller parts that usually flow into a larger body of water.

The first so-called delta was the Nile Delta, named by the Greek historian Herodotus. What makes a delta so special? Alluvial deposits are the rich mineral soil that can be found in the delta. Despite frequent floods, farmers often settle in a delta for this reason. Here's some more fun delta trivia: the deltoid muscles in your shoulders are named after the fourth letter of the Greek alphabet too.

Definitions of delta

noun the 4th letter of the Greek alphabet see moresee less type of: alphabetic character, letter, letter of the alphabet the conventional characters of the alphabet used to represent speech
noun a low area of alluvial deposits where a river divides before entering a larger body of water “the Mississippi River delta” “the Nile delta” see moresee less type of: alluvial deposit, alluvial sediment, alluvion, alluvium clay or silt or gravel carried by rushing streams and deposited where the stream slows down formation, geological formation (geology) the geological features of the earth
noun an object shaped like an equilateral triangle see moresee less type of: equiangular triangle, equilateral triangle a three-sided regular polygon

Pronunciation US /ˈdɛltə/ UK /ˈdɛltə/ Cite this entry Style: MLA

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