See Also: depopulate(1)(dictionary)
depopulate(2)(dictionary)
depopulate(dictionary)

depopulate(2) (iou)



depopulate verb. M16.
[Latin depopulat- pa. ppl stem of depopulare, -ari ravage, from de- DE- 1 + populare, -ari (from populus people) lay waste, (in medieval Latin) depopulate: see -ATE3.]
verb trans. Ravage, plunder, lay waste. M16-L17.
verb trans. Reduce or lessen the number of; thin out. M16-L18.
verb trans. Reduce the population of; deprive (wholly or partially) of inhabitants. L16.
J. Child The late Plague, which did much depopulate this Kingdom. F. Spence Forests and valleys were..depopulated of game.
b. verb intrans. Become less populous. M18.
verb trans. Destroy, cut off. L16-M17.
depopulator noun [Latin] (a) a devastator; (b) a person or agent that reduces the population of a district etc.: LME.