/ dɪˈpliːt; NAmE / verb
[ vn ] [ usually passive ] to reduce sth by a large amount so that there is not enough left :
Food supplies were severely depleted.
► de·ple·tion / dɪˈpliːʃn; NAmE / noun [ U ]:
ozone depletion
the depletion of fish stocks
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WORD ORIGIN
early 19th cent.: from Latin deplet- emptied out, from the verb deplere , from de- (expressing reversal) + plere fill (from plenus full).