deposits

1. 1
   noun

   Plural of deposit.

   Rich mineral deposits in the region attracted mining companies.

   Customers' deposits are protected up to a set limit by law.

   Note

   One plural covers several quite separate things. In geology it means accumulations of sediment, rock, ore or gems (mineral deposits, gold deposits). In banking it means sums placed in accounts. In everyday buying it means down payments, or refundable securities like those on bottles and cans. The same spelling also serves as the present-tense verb, so the words around it show which one you have: a deposit is a thing, while someone deposits.

2. 2
   verb

   Third-person singular simple present of deposit.

   The river deposits silt across the floodplain each spring.

   He deposits a small amount into his savings each month.

   Note

   Here the verb agrees with a single subject, such as she, the bank or a river, and it usually takes a direct object: the river deposits silt, he deposits a check. Money goes into an account, while sediment is laid down on a surface or a bed. A rarer use means laying something aside or getting rid of it. Because it shares a spelling with the plural noun, a river that deposits silt leaves deposits behind.

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