Syn. -- Deponent, Affiant. These are legal terms describing a person who makes a written declaration under oath, with a view to establish certain facts. An affiant is one who makes an affidavit, or declaration under oath, in order to establish the truth of what he says. A deponenet is one who makes a deposition, or gives written testimony under oath, to be used in the trial of some case before a court of justice. See under Deposition.
De*po"nent, a. [L. deponens, -entis, laying down (its proper passive meaning), p. pr. of deponere: cf. F. déponent. See Depone.] (Gram.) Having a passive form with an active meaning, as certain latin and Greek verbs.
De*pop"u*la*cy (?), n. Depopulation; destruction of population. [R.] Chapman.
De*pop"u*late (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Depopulated (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Depopulating (?).] [L. depopulatus, p. p. of depopulari to ravage; de- + populari to ravage, fr. populus people: cf. OF. depopuler, F. dépeupler. See People.] To deprive of inhabitants, whether by death or by expulsion; to reduce greatly the populousness of; to dispeople; to unpeople.
Where is this viper,
That would depopulate the city?
Shak.
It is not synonymous with laying waste or destroying, being limited to the loss of inhabitants; as, an army or a famine may depopulate a country. It rarely expresses an entire loss of inhabitants, but often a great diminution of their numbers; as, the deluge depopulated the earth.