depot

noun

de·​pot
senses 1 and 2 are
ˈde-(ˌ)pō How to pronounce depot (audio)
also
ˈdē- How to pronounce depot (audio)
sense 3 is
ˈdē- How to pronounce depot (audio)
sometimes
ˈde- How to pronounce depot (audio)
1
a
: a place for storing goods or motor vehicles
b
: store, cache
a fat depot in the body
2
a
: a place for the storage of military supplies
b
: a place for the reception and forwarding of military replacements
3
: a building for railroad or bus passengers or freight

Examples of depot in a Sentence

a distribution depot for auto parts the guns and ammunition were stored in a depot in Concord
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Meanwhile, a massive blaze at an oil depot in the Krasnodar region has continued to rage since it was hit by a Ukrainian drone attack late Wednesday. arkansasonline.com, 22 Mar. 2025 The blaze at the depot comes as the U.S., Russia and Ukraine work through the technical details of an agreement to halt attacks against energy infrastructure. Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 21 Mar. 2025 The blasts triggered a blaze at a sprawling depot containing as much as 800,000 tons of fuel—a blaze that raged for days. David Axe, Forbes, 20 Mar. 2025 The region's Operational Headquarters Telegram channel said the fire at the depot spread to more than 18,000 square feet in size via a leak in a tank. David Brennan, ABC News, 19 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for depot

Word History

Etymology

French dépôt, from Middle French depost, from Medieval Latin depositum, from Latin, neuter of depositus

First Known Use

1795, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of depot was in 1795

Cite this Entry

“Depot.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/depot. Accessed 2 Apr. 2025.

Kids Definition

depot

noun
de·​pot
senses 1 & 2 are
ˈdep-ˌō How to pronounce depot (audio)
also
ˈdē-ˌpō How to pronounce depot (audio)
 sense 3 is  ˈdē-ˌpō,
 sometimes  ˈdep-ˌō
1
: a place of deposit for goods : storehouse
2
: a place where military supplies are kept or where troops are assembled and trained
3
: a building for railroad or bus passengers or freight : station

Medical Definition

depot

1 of 2 noun
: a bodily location where a substance is stored usually for later utilization
fat depots as a source of energy

depot

2 of 2 adjective
: being in storage
depot fat
also : acting over a prolonged period
depot insulin

More from Merriam-Webster on depot

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!