depthdepth /depθ/ ●●● S3 W3 noun 
a sea with an average depth of 35 metresto/at a depth of something The cave descends to a depth of 340 feet. Plant the beans at a depth of about six inches.a metre/foot etc in depth (=deep) a channel of two feet in depth b)the distance from the front to the back of an object: The depth of the shelves is about 35 cm.2[uncountable] how strong an emotion is or how serious a situation isdepth of the depth of public feeling on this issue People need to realize the depth of the problem.3[uncountable] a) (also depths) the quality of having a lot of knowledge, understanding, or experiencedepth of knowledge/understanding/experience I was impressed by the depth of her knowledge. a man of great depth and insight She’s quiet, but perhaps she has hidden depths. b)when a lot of details about a subject are provided or considered: Network news coverage often lacks depth. The subject was discussed in great depth.4be out of your depth a)to be involved in a situation or activity that is too difficult for you to understand or deal with: I felt completely out of my depth at the meeting. b) British English to be in water that is too deep for you to stand in5 the depths of something when a bad feeling or situation is at its worst level: She was in the depths of despair. The country was recovering from the depths of recession.6the depths of the ocean/countryside/forest etc the part that is furthest away from people, and most difficult to reach: Astronomers may one day travel to the depths of space.7the depths of winter the middle of winter, especially when it is very cold8 the depths literary the deepest parts of the sea
WORD ORIGINdepth
Origin:
1300-1400 deepEXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
- Buckeye Lake reaches depths of eight to ten feet.
- Network news coverage often lacks depth.
- The depth of the pond varies with the rainfall.
- The drawers have a depth of 16 inches.
- The plants need sand with a depth of at least 10 to 15 cm to grow.
- The poll results indicate the depth of public concern about the economy.
- The ship's navigational equipment can measure the depth of the water.
- Their national team will have a little more depth this year.
- But this is a play which combines surface brilliance with a surprising depth of feeling.
- In summer the gardens would have looked colourful and pretty but somehow in the depths of the Provençal winter they appeared melancholy.
- The intermediary requires a greater depth in instruction.
- The One, without name or form, is the infinite depth, the unlimited ocean of being.
- The result has been to produce a society of great institutional depth.
- There, the themes of depth, impenetrable darkness, water, abandonment, corruption and death are all present at once.
- Therefore I felt I could just mention them but not go into depth.
- They allow us to externalize what we hold in our own subconscious depths.
Longman Language Activatorhow deep something is
· How deep was the snow?· I wasn't sure how deep the water was and I didn't want to swim out too far.
use this to say exactly how deep something is: · The pool is only five feet deep.· The snow is over two metres deep.ankle-deep/knee-deep etc (=deep enough to reach your ankles, knees, etc): · After the floods, the streets had become ankle-deep streams.
the distance from the surface to the bottom of a hole, river, sea etc: depth of: · The depth of the pond varies with the rainfall.· The plants need sand with a depth of at least 10 to 15 cm to grow.
to not understand · They didn't understand a single word she said.· Tell me if you don't understand.· She thought about getting a divorce, but she knew her children would never understand.· He made a few references to the CIA and national security, which Wilson did not understand.not understand why/how/what/where · I really can't understand why so many people like her music.
also can't makes heads or tails (out) of American informal to be unable to understand something at all because it is very complicated or confusing: · I just can't make head or tail of this train timetable.· I couldn't make head or tail of this book, and had real trouble finishing it.· Consumers can't always make heads or tails out of the way nutrition is labeled on a food package.
to be much too complicated or technical for someone to understand: · It was obvious from her expression that what I was saying was over her head.be way/completely over somebody's head: · I went to the lecture, but it was way over my head.
to be involved in a situation or activity which is too difficult for you to understand: · She was out of her depth in the advanced class, so they moved her to the intermediate class.be way/completely out of your depth: · I tried to read the report, but I was way out of my depth.
to still not understand something after someone has tried to explain it to you: · I've read the manual but I'm still none the wiser.leave somebody none the wiser: · His explanations of how it worked left me none the wiser.
spoken to not understand the reason for something: don't/can't see why/how/what/where: · I didn't see how they could sell it so cheaply.· I can't see why you think it's any of your business.
spoken say this when you cannot understand why something happens or how someone does something, and you find it very surprising: be a mystery to me/be beyond me/beats me how/what/why etc: · It's a mystery to me how he can get so much work done in such a short time.· Why anyone would willingly do that job is beyond me.it beats me/it's beyond me etc.: · "Why does she stay with her husband then?" "It beats me."
you say I can't think or I can't imagine how or why someone does something when you cannot think of any reasonable explanation why someone should do it, and are very surprised that they do: I can't think/can't imagine why/how etc: · He wants to join the army -- I can't think why.· How such a stupid man ever got to be a politician, I just can't imagine.
WORD SETSacre, nounacreage, nounavoirdupois, nounbaker's dozen, nounbalance, nounbarometer, nounbaseline, nounbasin, nounbaud rate, nounbearing, nounbecquerel, nounblack box, nounboiling point, nounbottle, nounbox, nouncalculator, nouncalibrate, verbcalibration, nouncc, centi-, prefixcentimetre, nouncircumference, nouncl, clock, verbcm, cu, cubic, adjectivecubit, nouncup, nouncupful, nouncwt, daylight saving time, noundeci-, prefixdecibel, noundecimalization, noundeflection, noundegree, noundensity, noundepth, noundimension, noundipstick, noundisplacement, noundoz., noundozen, numberelevation, nounfactor, nounfathom, nounfl oz, fluid ounce, nounfoot, nounft, g, gage, noungal, gallon, noungauge, noungauge, verbGB, Geiger counter, noungigabyte, noungill, noungirth, noungm, graduated, adjectivegraduation, noungrain, noungram, noungramme, noungrid, noungross, adjectivehandful, nounhectare, nounhertz, nounhigh, adjectivehundredweight, nounimpedance, nounimperial, adjectiveinch, nounindicator, nouninstrument, nounjoule, nounkarat, nounkg, kilo, nounkilo-, prefixkilogram, nounkilometre, nounkm, knot, nounl, latitude, nounlb, league, nounlength, nounlight year, nounliter, nounlitre, nounlow water mark, nounmax, nounmaximum, adjectivemean, adjectivemeasure, verbmeasure, nounmedian, nounmedium, adjectivemegaton, nounmelting point, nounmental age, nounmeter, nounmeter, verb-meter, suffixmetre, noun-metre, suffixmetric, adjectivemetrication, nounmetric ton, nounmg, MHz, microsecond, nounmile, nounmillennium, nounmilli-, prefixmillibar, nounmilligram, nounmillilitre, nounmillimetre, nounminus, adjectiveminute, nounml, mpg, mph, nano-, prefixnanosecond, nounnautical mile, nounounce, nounoverweight, adjectiveoz, pace, verbpart, nounpedometer, nounpint, nounplus, adjectivepoint, nounpound, nounpunnet, nounqt, quantify, verbquart, nounradioactive dating, nounradius, nounrain gauge, nounread, verbreading, nounrecord, verbreset, verbrev, nounrotation, nounrpm, rule, nounruler, nounscale, nounsea level, nounsea mile, nounseismograph, nounsensor, nounset square, nounsextant, nounsnowfall, nounsoundings, nounsq., subsonic, adjectivesundial, nountherm, nountimberline, nountog, nounton, nountonnage, nountonne, nountroy weight, noununit, nounvoltmeter, nounvolume, nounwatch, nounwatt, nounwattage, nounweighbridge, nounweight, nounwidth, nounwt., yard, nounyardage, nounyardstick, nounyd, zero, number
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE ENTRY The cave descends to a depth of 340 feet. Plant the beans at a depth of about six inches. I was impressed by the depth of her knowledge. She’s quiet, but perhaps she has hidden depths. The subject was discussed in great depth. She was in the depths of despair. The country was recovering from the depths of recession.COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES an in-depth study of patients’ needs It was as if those grey eyes could see into the very depths of her soul.
The cave descends to a depth of 340 feet. Plant the beans at a depth of about six inches. (=deep) a channel of two feet in depth
a channel of two feet in depth I was impressed by the depth of her knowledge. She’s quiet, but perhaps she has hidden depths. The subject was discussed in great depth. She was in the depths of despair. The country was recovering from the depths of recession.· a detailed analysis of the firm’s earnings
(=detailed analysis)· an in-depth analysis of global warming
(=one that is detailed)· Each issue contains in-depth articles and photographs.
(=very strong feelings of despair)
(=how strong an emotion is)· She was surprised by the depth of her emotions.
· A depth gauge is essential for telling you how deep you are when diving.
an in-depth study of patients’ needs (=detailed knowledge about all of a particular subject)· He demonstrated an in-depth knowledge of the subject matter.
(=be at its worst level)· The country is in the depths of recession.
It was as if those grey eyes could see into the very depths of her soul. (=in the middle of the winter)· Even in the depths of winter, the harbour is never completely frozen.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSADJECTIVE· Further along is Jingle Pot, another large crater of no great depth.· At greater depths, researchers have found other bootstraps.· It can be sold mild when young, or matured to a greater depth of flavour.· It always amazes me that animals reach the surface alive from great depths.· I don't claim any great originality or depth, but it is the best I can do at the moment.· Throw it all together, along with a few indigenous ingredients, and you have an unparalleled culinary repertoire of great depth.· Chablis Premier Cru, Côte de Lechet 1990, £9.95 - full, rich, white, great depth of flavour.· It is the second point which we should reexamine now in greater depth.
· Once in the water the diving followed a tortuous corkscrewing route reaching a maximum depth of 34.5 metres.· The dive log screen displays maximum depth, dive time and surface interval for the last ten dives.· A bar graph shows present depth and maximum depth reached.· Error 1402 Maximum package depth exceeded - repeat listing at a lower level package.· It displays maximum depth and elapsed dive time.· Luckily, the reactor was turned back on before the submarine imploded from the pressure of being beyond its maximum design depth.· Some fixed lens cameras have a maximum and minimum focus, and might restrict the maximum depth you can dive to.
· In Britain, in particular, there can be few areas where water is not available at a shallow depth.· Camera-shake and shallow depth of field can cause problems.· Heating probably begins at quite shallow depths but because the downgoing plate is cold virtually all of this heat is initially absorbed.· Nuclear waste is disposed of at much shallower depths.· You must wait at that depth, within 0.5 metres, until a shallower depth or a new no-stop time is indicated.· Only small quantities of oil are transported through the actual canal because the shallow water depth bars the passage of large tankers.· But it was the remorse of youth - intense, yet so shallow its depth is plumbed at a glance.· Programmable shallow depth alarm and adjustable keel depth.
NOUN· Alternatively mines or depth charges could be loaded.· A short while later, patrol boats, equipped with depth charges, approached from the flanks.· Anyway, Taureg survived thirty-eight depth charges so she deserves a bit of a cheer.· This would leave nuclear-armed bombers, cruise missiles and depth charges.· Even more elusive have been facts about retrieving nuclear depth charges from lost helicopters.· The depth charge was set for 105.
· Life in the ocean depths poses many special problems, requiring special adaptations.· Man is a wellspring; woman an ocean depth.· Monsters, stirred from the lightless ocean depths by the sinking of the lands, sometimes come ashore here in search of prey.
VERB· Ask your hairdresser about tinted lights, which add warmth and depth.· In a saute pan, add water to a depth of l / 4 inch.· Right: Add depth and elegance to plain painted walls with a Fablon peel and stick border.· I added a few small hydrangea florets to perfect the shape and add some depth to the range of colours used.· What really adds depth to this documentary, though, is its status as a poignant historical document.
· The half-day course on the Census introduces the problems but does not attempt to discuss them in depth.· As we will discuss later in more depth, bonds are IOUs that pay a specific rate of inter-est.· It is discussed in depth further on in this section and should be studied.· Both these aspects will be discussed later in some depth.· These two points of view seem important enough to discuss in much greater depth.· I shall discuss circulation at greater depths in section 9.3.3.· This question will therefore be discussed in some depth in Chapter 3.· One aspect of this type of criminality, business or corporate crime, will be discussed in some depth in Chapter 3.
· I've started to look at this and want to explore it in greater depth.· A rental car is the best bet for exploring Meteora in depth.· As we discuss shortly, this particular problem has also been explored in depth by feminist writing.· Each core has a particular set of topics for consideration each year, and students find ways to explore these in depth.· Two case studies were explored in depth.· The underlying reasons for these differences are explored in depth in chapters 7 and 8.· Claman sets out to explore in depth fundamental questions, but readers expecting such will be left unfulfilled and let down.
· Lines parallel to the horizon give breadth, that is to say a section of nature ... Lines perpendicular to this horizon give depth.· A touch of Cognac gives it depth and a hint of sweetness.· This purported to give viewers colour and depth from a drunken double image viewed through red and blue specs.· What we tried to do was to give it some depth and dimension.· The band have a live intensity that's missing on their recordings and gave added depth to Let Me Down.· He wanders in and out of these afternoons, the bright hot skies that give tone and depth to narrow data.· John Gregory's close-season signings have given his squad greater depth and the attack has more scoring potential.· This gave greater depth to most of the patterns, but often made the dancers appear earthbound.
· She believed George Harrison had hidden depths.· There are no hidden depths or subtle shades here.· There he might hope to hide in the depths, to escape our attentions.
· Cool colors recede, increasing the sense of depth.· The ability to collapse their lung air-sacs with increasing depth is probably the dolphin's major protection against the bends.· When people exercise, it tends to increase the depth of their sleep.· And the actual practice of benchmarking is increasing both in depth and extent.· The melting point increases with depth in the Earth because of the increasing pressure.
· How could they soar so high one minute, then plumb the depths?· It was Amy who correctly assessed her brother, although not even she plumbed the depths of his duplicity.· Perhaps he plumbed a depth beyond human sensitivity.· We certainly need to continue our investigations; to advance ideas; to plumb the mysterious depths of the human psyche.
· Careful plumbing will reveal depth and type of bottom.· Over the years his admirable private-eye hero, Spenser, has revealed intriguing depths of sensitivity and literary appreciation.· He opened his recruitment consultancy in January 1991, just as the recession was revealing the depths to which it could sink.· He talks about them non-stop, rapid-fire, revealing a depth of knowledge that contradicts the simplicity of the subject.· November 3: A picture of the couple reveals the depth of the rift.· And Cowher has revealed just enough intellectual depth to assure women that he is not a stupid brute.· Overnight the world has opened up and revealed its depth and colour.· The 20-bit master revealed audible improvements in depth, breadth and clarity.
· This proprietary blend shows tremendous depth and concentration, with generous blackberry fruit and hints of chocolate and blueberry.· His letter is worth quoting as it shows the depth of feeling and suspicion in the Services at that time.· This full-bodied, lush wine shows impressive complexity and depth for one so inexpensive.· In novice mode, the screen shows current depth, no-stop time, dive time and cylinder contents.· The dive planning screen is a look-ahead facility showing a selection of depths and no-stop times depending on your current decompression status.· A bar graph shows present depth and maximum depth reached.· These internal appointments show the depth of management in the Company.
· But once she had tried it on, her spirits sank once more to unprecedented depths.· Mr Mallory was smoking behind a newspaper, sunk in the depths of his arm-chair.
· Nevertheless the specific problems and prospects of the churches' own media need to be studied in greater depth.· And the short story is studied in depth in school and college.· In fact, you won't have to pay a penny until you've studied your policy in depth.· In the third and fourth years, a wider range of authors is studied in greater depth.· Therefore we need to study in greater depth the role played by television and other visual media in contemporary society.· Certainly the boards we studied in more depth had made serious efforts to understand their duties and responsibilities.· The Diploma gives a choice of studying in depth three out of ten subjects.· Nine multi-divisional companies are studied in depth with interviews conducted at corporate, division and operating unit level.
· What is vital is that you understand the depth of feelings involved here.· Nor did they understand the depth of our cultural assumptions about gender roles.· Mr. Tom King I have received many such representations and I well understand the depth of feeling on the part of those expressing their concern.· But merely examining national poverty statistics is not sufficient to understand the depth of poverty in the United States.· She did not pretend to understand such depth of feeling.· Not disinterested; he is certainly smart enough to understand the depth and breadth of his blessings.· It does not take much imagination to understand the depth of grief that the parents feel at the loss of their baby.· Even at age three she understood the depth of the commitment certain people have for her.
PHRASES FROM THE ENTRY
- All the windows were shuttered as if we were in the depths of winter.
- Always try to see a prospective home in the depths of winter.
- Besides I don't think the gondoliers work in the depths of winter.
- Even in the depths of winter the sea ice is never a complete cover.
- Sexy underwear's got nothing on thermal britches and vests when it comes to keeping you cosy in the depths of winter.
- This lightning campaign undertaken in the depths of winter while most people were still celebrating Christmas had the desired effect.
- As I hiked around the volcano, clouds of steam rose up from the depths of the Earth.
- Who knows what creatures live in the depths of the ocean?
- And there's some nihilistic glint in the depths of those blue eyes.
- Dionysus retreated before him and even took refuge from him in the depths of the sea.
- He is unaware of the depths of her feelings and unable to conceive of himself as repulsive.
- She married my father in 1932, in the depths of the Depression.
- The shelves come to an abrupt stop as the protruding land masses plunge into the depths.
- They can also help a floundering organization extricate itself from the depths of a self-inflicted malaise.
- Though his features looked as if they'd been carved from stone, in the depths of his gaze something stirred.
- Welcome to the C of E premiership and the depths of its first division.
- I tried to read the report, but I was way out of my depth.
- I was hopelessly out of my depth in college chemistry classes.
- She was out of her depth in the advanced class, so they moved her to the intermediate class.
- All went through him, and the hapless McCann, theoretically marking him, was out of his depth.
- But he is out of his depth.
- While the old hands somehow muddle through, novices are out of their depth within minutes.
- A tidal wave, coming from the depths of the waters, shook those coasts violently while the burial was going on.
- From the depths of my patchy education, I recalled that Shelley had drowned in a storm on a lake.
- In his hand are the depths of the earth, and the mountain peaks belong to him.
- It was Amy who correctly assessed her brother, although not even she plumbed the depths of his duplicity.
- The central attraction is the Tropical Swimming Paradise, which claims to maintain a sub-tropical climate even in the depths of mid-winter.
- The Trummelbach Falls are nearby, spectacular waterfalls which plunge into the depths of the mountain.
- There were some joints in the depths of the freezer, but he didn't like to attack these.
- This detail in the story shows that the son was driven to the depths of despair.
- Illegal activity is not limited to the depths of the forest.
- So the depths of the oceans are full of lights moving rhythmically around and continually turning off and on.
- The sporadic gunfire, explosions and shouting in the depths of the forest, seemed to belong to a different world.
WORD FAMILYnoundeepdepthadjectivedeepdeepeningverbdeepenadverbdeeply
1[countable usually singular, uncountable] a)the distance from the top surface of something such as a river or hole to the bottom of it: a sea with an average depth of 35 metresto/at a depth of something The cave descends to a depth of 340 feet. Plant the beans at a depth of about six inches.a metre/foot etc in depth (=deep) a channel of two feet in depth b)the distance from the front to the back of an object: The depth of the shelves is about 35 cm.2[uncountable] how strong an emotion is or how serious a situation isdepth of the depth of public feeling on this issue People need to realize the depth of the problem.3[uncountable] a) (also depths) the quality of having a lot of knowledge, understanding, or experiencedepth of knowledge/understanding/experience I was impressed by the depth of her knowledge. a man of great depth and insight She’s quiet, but perhaps she has hidden depths. b)when a lot of details about a subject are provided or considered: Network news coverage often lacks depth. The subject was discussed in great depth.4be out of your depth a)to be involved in a situation or activity that is too difficult for you to understand or deal with: I felt completely out of my depth at the meeting. b) British English to be in water that is too deep for you to stand in5 the depths of something when a bad feeling or situation is at its worst level: She was in the depths of despair. The country was recovering from the depths of recession.6the depths of the ocean/countryside/forest etc the part that is furthest away from people, and most difficult to reach: Astronomers may one day travel to the depths of space.7the depths of winter the middle of winter, especially when it is very cold8 the depths literary the deepest parts of the sea