What does depot mean?
Word: Depot
Part of Speech: Noun
Meaning: Depot means a place where goods are stored, or where buses or trains are kept and repaired when they are not running.
Synonyms: warehouse, storehouse
How do you spell depot?
Syllables: dep - ot
Tricky part: The t at the end is silent, so the word sounds like DEP-oh. The spelling comes from French, where a final t is often not said.
Watch out for: depo, dipot, depoe
Memory tip: Depot keeps a silent t from French. Say DEP-oh aloud, but always write the t you cannot hear.
Depot in a sentence
Example 1: The milk van leaves the depot at five every morning.
Example 2: Old train coaches are repaired at the railway depot outside the city.
Example 3: Farmers brought their wheat to the government depot after the harvest.
Fun Fact
Depot came into English from French, and it goes back to the Latin depositum, a thing put down; the word deposit comes from the same root.
Practise the CREST Way
Word Champ
Read the statements and choose the correct option:
1. A depot is a place where buses are kept and repaired. 2. A kiosk is a large hall for concerts. 3. A pavilion is a small stall that sells newspapers.
a) all three are true
b) only 1 is true
c) only 2 is true
d) both 1 and 3 are true
Show answer
b) only 1 is true. A kiosk is the small stall, and a pavilion is a building beside a sports ground, so only the depot statement holds.
Word Tally
You get 2 marks for each correctly spelt word in the list. How many marks will you get?
depot, platform, enjine, ticket, luggege
a) 4
b) 10
c) 6
d) 8
Show answer
c) 6. Engine has a g after the n and luggage ends in age, so three words are right: 3 x 2 = 6.
Spell Spies
Choose the incorrectly spelt word:
a) ballet
b) buffet
c) bouquet
d) deppot
Show answer
d) deppot. Depot has a single p; buffet, ballet and bouquet are all spelt correctly.
Spell Probe
Find the misspelt word in the sentence and choose its meaning:
The forest department stores its seeds in a cool depot until the monsun arrives and planting can begin.
a) the act of putting young plants in the ground
b) the season of heavy rain in South Asia
c) the small parts of a plant that grow into new plants
d) a place where goods are stored
Show answer
b) the season of heavy rain in South Asia. Monsun has lost an o; monsoon, the rainy season, has a double o, and depot is spelt correctly.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. What is kept in a grain depot?
a) letters and parcels
b) spare bus tyres
c) old train coaches
d) sacks of rice and wheat
Show answer
d) sacks of rice and wheat
2. Which worker would you most expect to find at a bus depot?
a) a goldsmith
b) a mechanic
c) a tailor
d) a pilot
Show answer
b) a mechanic
