From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishdepletede‧plete /dɪˈpliːt/ verb [transitive] REDUCEto reduce the amount of something that is present or available Salmon populations have been severely depleted.Grammar Deplete is often passive in this meaning. —depletion /dɪˈpliːʃən/ noun [uncountable] the depletion of the ozone layer→ See Verb table
Examples from the Corpus
deplete• Over the last few years, rainforests have been steadily depleted.• Now his wife is worse and his savings are depleted.• Note that B complex vitamins are depleted by nicotine, alcohol, stress, and oral contraceptives.• He knew that the area's rich plant life had been severely depleted by the huge herds of cows grazing the land.• As oil reserves are depleted, its price will continue to rise.• Algae can block light and deplete oxygen from the water.• Salmon populations have been severely depleted recently.• As these problems multiply and deplete resources, the range of options available to the organization increasingly narrows.• This depleted the famine areas further, and sparked off new hatred amongst the peasants.• CFC is just one chemical that depletes the ozone layer.severely depleted• Conservationists are concerned that fish of breeding age - those over eight years - are the most severely depleted.• With the onset of World War 11, the ranks were severely depleted, and the forest work camps were closed.• Forests surrounding the city are being rapidly felled for fuelwood, and 80 percent of them are in a severely depleted state.• But clan warfare has severely depleted the amount of food getting through.• When fish stocks are severely depleted, their output is also reduced - because there are fewer fish remaining to reproduce.From Longman Business Dictionarydepletede‧plete /dɪˈpliːt/ verb [transitive] to greatly reduce the amount of something, using up nearly all of itDrastic measures will need to be taken if fish stocks in Europe’s seas are not to be disastrously depleted. —depleted adjective [only before a noun]Measures to build up the depleted foreign exchange reserves were supported by the International Monetary Fund.→ See Verb tableOrigin deplete (1800-1900) Latin depletus, past participle of deplere, from plere “to fill” 