depletede‧plete /dɪˈpliːt/ verb [transitive] 
Salmon populations have been severely depleted.GRAMMAR Deplete is often passive in this meaning.—depletion /dɪˈpliːʃən/ noun [uncountable]: the depletion of the ozone layer
WORD ORIGINdeplete
Origin:
1800-1900 Latin depletus, past participle of deplere, from plere ‘to fill’VERB TABLE
deplete
| Simple Form | ||
| Present | I, you, we, they | deplete |
| he, she, it | depletes | |
| Past | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | depleted |
| Present perfect | I, you, we, they | have depleted |
| he, she, it | has depleted | |
| Past perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | had depleted |
| Future | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will deplete |
| Future perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will have depleted |
| Continuous Form | ||
| Present | I | am depleting |
| he, she, it | is depleting | |
| you, we, they | are depleting | |
| Past | I, he, she, it | was depleting |
| you, we, they | were depleting | |
| Present perfect | I, you, we, they | have been depleting |
| he, she, it | has been depleting | |
| Past perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | had been depleting |
| Future | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will be depleting |
| Future perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will have been depleting |
EXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
- Algae can block light and deplete oxygen from the water.
- CFC is just one chemical that depletes the ozone layer.
- He knew that the area's rich plant life had been severely depleted by the huge herds of cows grazing the land.
- Over the last few years, rainforests have been steadily depleted.
- Salmon populations have been severely depleted recently.
- As oil reserves are depleted, its price will continue to rise.
- As these problems multiply and deplete resources, the range of options available to the organization increasingly narrows.
- Note that B complex vitamins are depleted by nicotine, alcohol, stress, and oral contraceptives.
- Now his wife is worse and his savings are depleted.
- This depleted the famine areas further, and sparked off new hatred amongst the peasants.
Longman Language Activatorto reduce something gradually
to gradually reduce the amount or value of something, especially money, wages, or profits over a period of time: · Over the years, the value of our savings and investments has been eroded by inflation.gradually/steadily erode: · High interest rates can gradually erode profit margins.
if costs, rising prices, etc eat into the amount of money you have, they reduce its value: · Rising rents and travel expenses simply eat into any pay rise that nurses might get.· Theft from offices and factories eats into company profits.
to reduce the amount of something to a level that is too low: · Over the last few years, rainforests have been steadily depleted.· He knew that the area's rich plant life had been severely depleted by the huge herds of cows grazing the land.· CFC is just one chemical that depletes the ozone layer.
to gradually reduce the strength of something by repeated small amounts: · High interest rates can chip away at your profits.· The group continues to campaign for the rights of disabled people, chipping away at old prejudices.
to reduce something by small amounts over a period of time, so that the final effect is very serious: whittle away at: · Congress is whittling away at our civil liberties.whittle away something: · Inflation has been whittling away the value of state pensions for the last fifteen years.whittle something away: · Lawmakers have gradually whittled the program's funding away over the last few years.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE ENTRY Salmon populations have been severely depleted.COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSADVERB
to reduce the amount of something that is present or available: Salmon populations have been severely depleted.· With the onset of World War 11, the ranks were severely depleted, and the forest work camps were closed.· But clan warfare has severely depleted the amount of food getting through.
NOUN· They calculate that ozone is depleted fastest when the sun is least active.· We will strive to accelerate the eradication of ozone depleting substances.
Salmon populations have been severely depleted.GRAMMAR Deplete is often passive in this meaning.—depletion /dɪˈpliːʃən/ noun [uncountable]: the depletion of the ozone layer