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\ ˈdepth 
\
\ plural depths\ ˈdepths , ˈdep(t)s \
, ˈdep(t)s \Definition of depth
1a(1) : a deep place in a body of water
fish living at great depths
(2) : a part that is far from the outside or surface
the depths of the woods
(3) : abyss sense 1
b(1) : a profound or intense state (as of thought or feeling)
the depths of sorrow also : a reprehensibly low condition hadn't realized that standards had fallen to such depths
(2) : the middle of a time (such as a season)
the depths of winter
(3) : the worst part
the depths of the depression
2 mathematics
a : the perpendicular (see perpendicular entry 1 sense 1b) measurement downward from a surface
the depth of a swimming pool
b : the direct linear measurement from front to back
the depth of a bookshelf
3 : the quality of being deep the depth of the pass
4 : the degree of intensity
depth of a color also : the quality of being profound (as in insight) or full (as of knowledge) the depth of her experience
5 : the quality or state of being complete or thorough
a study will be made in depth
6 US, sports : the quality of having many good players
a team that lacks depth in the outfield
beyond one's depth or out of one's depth
: beyond the limits of one's capabilities
an actor who is out of his depth in serious drama
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Other Words from depth
depthless \ ˈdepth-ləs \ adjective
\ adjective
Examples of depth in a Sentence
These fish typically live at depths of 500 feet or more.
Students will test the temperature of the water at different depths.
The boat sank to a depth of several hundred feet.
measuring the depth of the water
the depth of a hole
The pool has a depth of 12 feet.
I began working at the factory during the depth of the Depression.
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Recent Examples on the Web The Reds like their depth at most positions if the league expands rosters with more games per week.
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Bobby Nightengale, Cincinnati.com, "More doubleheaders? A new playoff format? Cincinnati Reds try to prepare for all MLB scenarios," 21 Mar. 2020 The Browns remade their depth along the defensive line late last season, and Billings should upgrade it.
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Scott Patsko, cleveland, "Grade the Browns’ roster additions during the first week of free agency (poll)," 21 Mar. 2020 There is Roy Scheider’s Sheriff Brody: apprehensive, well-meaning, but out of his depth.
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Alex Shephard, The New Republic, "The Pandemic Movie of Our Time Isn’t Contagion. It’s Jaws.," 20 Mar. 2020 The best adventure writers are seekers, traversing not only physical terrain but their emotional depths.
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Rinker Buck, WSJ, "‘The Adventurer’s Son’ Review: Exploring the Grief," 18 Mar. 2020 The Celtic Tiger, the moniker for the preceding period of incredible economic boom, plummeted into a recession that at its depths yielded a 15% unemployment rate.
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Chadner Navarro, Fortune, "Dublin’s resurgence reaches new heights at this hip Docklands hotel," 17 Mar. 2020 Thus, if a disk is responsible here, the transit should be greatly reduced compared to its depth at other wavelengths.
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John Timmer, Ars Technica, "Could we have already imaged a ringed exoplanet?," 14 Mar. 2020 Tomato is the star in this dish, which showcases the fruit’s versatility by developing its umami depths in the filling and giving it the barest treatment in the garnish.
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Soleil Ho, SFChronicle.com, "Azalina Eusope’s triumphant San Francisco restaurant is a tribute to mamak street food," 12 Mar. 2020 Notably, the mole has been unable to get down to its prescribed depth because the Martian dirt is proving more slippery than mission team members had anticipated.
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Mike Wall, Scientific American, "NASA’s InSight Lander Reveals New Details of Martian Quakes and Magnetism," 24 Feb. 2020
See MoreThese example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'depth.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for depth
depth
nounEnglish Language Learners Definition of depth
: a distance below a surface
: the distance from the front of something to the back
: an area that exists far below a surface or far inside something : a deep place or area
See the full definition for depth in the English Language Learners Dictionary
depth
noun\ ˈdepth \
\Kids Definition of depth
1 : measurement from top to bottom or from front to back
a cupboard's depth
2 : a place far below a surface or far inside something (as a sea or a forest)
Some unusual fish live at great depths.
3 : the middle of time
the depth of winter
4 : intensity sense 2 a depth of color No one can imagine the … depth of our emotion …— E. B. White, The Trumpet of the Swan
5 : abundance, completeness The speaker displayed a depth of knowledge.
depth
noun\ ˈdepth \
\ plural depths\ ˈdepth , ˈdep(t)s \
, ˈdep(t)s \Medical Definition of depth
1 : the distance between upper and lower or between dorsal and ventral points of a body
2 : the quality of a state of consciousness, a bodily state, or a physiological function of being intense or complete
the depth of anesthesia the depth of respiration
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The first known use of depth was in the 14th century
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