/del"yoohj, -yoohzh, del"oohj, -oohzh, di loohj", -loohzh"/ , n. , v. , deluged, deluging .
n.
1. a great flood of water; inundation; flood.
2. a drenching rain; downpour.
3. anything that overwhelms like a flood: a deluge of mail.
4. the Deluge . See flood (def. 3).
v.t.
5. to flood; inundate.
6. to overrun; overwhelm: She was deluged with congratulatory letters.
[ 1325-75; ME diluvium flood, equiv. to diluv-, base of diluere to wash away, dissolve ( di- DI 2 + -luere, comb. form of lavere to wash) + -ium -IUM ]
Syn. 1. See flood. 3. cataclysm, catastrophe.