To deliver means to bring or carry something to someone, usually to a specific place. When a mail carrier delivers packages to your door, they're bringing items from one location to another. A pizza restaurant delivers food to hungry customers' homes. You might deliver a message from your teacher to the principal's office.

The word also means to fulfill a promise or meet expectations. When a basketball player delivers in the final seconds of a game, she makes the crucial shot her team was counting on. When someone says “he really delivered,” they mean he came through and did what was needed. A scientist who delivers results produces the findings everyone was hoping for.

In a more formal sense, deliver means to give a speech or presentation. A student delivers a report to the class, speaking clearly and sharing information. A president delivers an address to the nation.

Deliver can also mean to help a baby be born, though this is a specialized medical use.

The key idea behind all these meanings is bringing something to completion or to its intended destination, whether that's a package, a performance, or a promise. When you deliver, you follow through and get the job done.