depopulate

views updated May 18 2018

de·pop·u·late / dēˈpäpyəˌlāt/ • v. [tr.] substantially reduce the population of (an area): the disease could depopulate a city the size of New Haven.DERIVATIVES: de·pop·u·la·tion / -ˌpäpyəˈlāshən/ n.

depopulate

views updated May 18 2018

depopulate †lay waste; deprive of population. XVI. f. pp. stem of L. dēpopulāre, -ārī, ravage, f. DE- 3 + populāre, -ārī lay waste (f. populus PEOPLE), in medL. deprive of inhabitants, by assoc. with Rom. *dispopulāre (OF. despeupler, mod. dé-, whence dispeople XV).
So depopulation XV. — L.

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