verb (used with object), de·plet·ed, de·plet·ing.
- to decrease seriously or exhaust the abundance or supply of: The fire had depleted the game in the forest. Extravagant spending soon depleted his funds.
verb (tr)
- to use up (supplies, money, energy, etc); reduce or exhaust
- to empty entirely or partially
- med to empty or reduce the fluid contents of (an organ or vessel)
1650s, from Late Latin depletionem (nominative depletio) “blood-letting,” noun of action from past participle stem of Latin deplere “to empty,” literally “to un-fill,” from de- “off, away” (see de-) + plere “to fill” (see pleio-).
1807, back-formation from depletion. Related: Depleted; depleting.
n.
- The act or process of depleting.
- The state of being depleted; exhaustion.
- Removal of or reduction in a body substance, such as blood, a fluid, or a nutrient.
v.
- To use up something, such as a nutrient.
- To empty something out, as the body of electrolytes.