del 1
/del/
1. (in names of Spanish derivation) a contraction of de and the article el: Estanislao del Campo.
2. (in names of Italian derivation) a contraction of di and the article il: Giovanni del Monte.
del 2
/del/ , n. Math.
a differential operator. Symbolically appearing as a downward pointing triangle. Cf. gradient (def. 4), Laplace operator .
[ 1900-05; short form of DELTA ]