Word of the Day

: August 13, 2013

depone

verb dih-POHN

What It Means

: to assert under oath : testify

depone in Context

"A policeman had deponed at the preliminary inquiry that Barnes had willingly given permission for the samples to be taken." - From an article by Barbara Gayle in The Weekly Gleaner (Jamaica, New York), October 11-17, 2012 "At paragraph 12 of this affidavit, it is deponed that the Biometric Voter Registration technology was not meant to replace the legally required manual system of voter registration, but was meant to provide an additional layer of efficiency and integrity in the electoral processes." - From a report on a presidential petition in the Daily Nation (Kenya), April 16, 2013

Did You Know?

"I, Maureen Watt, depone aat I wull be leal and bear ae full alleadgance tae Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth," swore the newly-elected Member of the Scottish Parliament in the dialect of the North-East of Scotland. (Translation: "I swear that I will be loyal and bear full allegiance to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth.") "Depone," a word used in Scots law for "testify" since the 15th century, is perfectly at home in the oath. The word originated from Latin "deponere," meaning "to put down." The related English verb "depose," referring to testimony, entered the language through the same root the following century. Though used less frequently in American English than "depose," "depone" is no stranger to the American court system.