I. de ‧ pos ‧ it 1 S3 W3 /dɪˈpɒzət, dɪˈpɒzɪt $ dɪˈpɑː-/ BrE AmE noun [countable]
1 . a part of the cost of something you are buying that you pay some time before you pay the rest of it
deposit of
A deposit of 10% is required.
put down a deposit (on something) (=pay a deposit)
We put down a deposit on a house.
2 . money that you pay when you rent something such as an apartment or car, which will be given back if you do not damage it
deposit of
We ask for one month’s rent in advance, plus a deposit of $500.
3 . an amount of money that is paid into a bank account OPP withdrawal
deposit into
I’d like to make a deposit (=pay some money) into my savings account.
4 . a layer of a mineral, metal etc that is left in soil or rocks through a natural process
deposit of
rich deposits of gold in the hills
5 . an amount or layer of a substance that gradually develops in a particular place:
fatty deposits on the heart
6 . an amount of money paid by a ↑ candidate in a political election in Britain, that is returned to them if they get enough votes
lose your deposit (=not get enough votes)
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COLLOCATIONS (for Meaning 2)
■ verbs
▪ pay a deposit
Car hire firms may ask you to pay a deposit in advance.
▪ get your deposit back
You'll get your deposit back when all the bills have been paid.
▪ lose your deposit (=not get it back)
If there is any damage to the apartment, you may lose your deposit.
▪ give somebody their deposit back
When I left, the landlord refused to give me my deposit back.
▪ return somebody's deposit formal (=give it back to them)
Your deposit will be returned to you when you leave the flat.
■ adjectives
▪ refundable/returnable (=that you get back later if there is no damage)
We ask for a refundable deposit of 500 Euros.
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THESAURUS
▪ payment an amount of money that you pay for something, especially when it is only one part of the total amount you have to pay:
They have a monthly car payment of £220.
▪ instalment British English , installment American English a regular payment you make to pay back money that you have borrowed or to pay for things that you have already received:
I borrowed $2,000, which was to be paid back in monthly installments of $250.
▪ deposit ( also down payment ) part of the cost of something that you pay before you get it, so that it will not be sold to anyone else:
They used the money they inherited as a down payment on a house.
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The hotel asks for a $20 deposit to reserve a room.
▪ subscription an amount of money you pay, usually once a year, to receive copies of a newspaper or magazine:
A subscription to the magazine is $52 a year.
▪ tip a small amount of money that you give someone, for example a waitress or taxi driver, in addition to paying for a service they have given you:
I usually leave a 10% tip.
▪ premium the amount you pay for insurance each year:
your monthly life insurance premiums
II. deposit 2 BrE AmE verb
[ Date: 1500-1600 ; Language: Latin ; Origin: depositus , past participle of deponere ; ⇨ ↑ depose ]
1 . [transitive always + adverb/preposition] formal to put something down in a particular place:
The female deposits her eggs directly into the water.
2 . [transitive] to leave a layer of a substance on the surface of something, especially gradually:
As the river slows down, it deposits a layer of soil.
3 . [transitive] to put money or something valuable in a bank or other place where it will be safe
deposit something in something
You are advised to deposit your valuables in the hotel safe.
deposit something with somebody/something
The dollars are then deposited with banks outside the USA.
REGISTER
In everyday English, people usually say they put in or pay in money, rather than deposit money:
▪
I paid/put $100 into his account.
▪
You should put your valuables in the hotel safe.