dep·o·si·tion

[dep-uh-zish-uhn, dee-puh-]
noun
1.
removal from an office or position.
2.
the act or process of depositing: deposition of the documents with the Library of Congress.
3.
the state of being deposited or precipitated: deposition of soil at the mouth of a river.
4.
something that is deposited.
5.
Law.
a.
the giving of testimony under oath.
b.
the testimony so given.
c.
a statement under oath, taken down in writing, to be used in court in place of the spoken testimony of the witness.
6.
Ecclesiastical.
a.
the interment of the body of a saint.
b.
the reinterment of the body or the relics of a saint.
7.
(initial capital letter) a work of art depicting Christ being lowered from the Cross.
Origin:
1350–1400; Middle English (< Anglo-French) < Late Latin dēpositiōn- (stem of dēpositiō) a putting aside, testimony, burial, equivalent to Latin dēposit(us) laid down (see deposit) + -iōn- -ion

Related forms
dep·o·si·tion·al, adjective
post·dep·o·si·tion·al, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Characterized by defiance; boldly resistant or challenging: a defiant attitude.
remove from a country
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Collins
World English Dictionary
deposition (ˌdɛpəˈzɪʃən, ˌdiːpə-) [Click for IPA pronunciation guide]
 
—n
1.  law
 a.  the giving of testimony on oath
 b.  the testimony so given
 c.  the sworn statement of a witness used in court in his absence
2.  the act or instance of deposing
3.  the act or an instance of depositing
4.  something that is deposited; deposit
 
[C14: from Late Latin dēpositiō a laying down, disposal, burying, testimony]

Deposition (ˌdɛpəˈzɪʃən, ˌdiːpə-) [Click for IPA pronunciation guide]
 
—n
the taking down of Christ's body from the Cross or a representation of this

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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Etymonline
Word Origin & History

deposition
c.1400, "dethronement, putting down from dignity or authority," from O.Fr. deposition (12c.), from L. depositionem, noun of action from deponere (see deposit). Meaning "giving of testimony under oath" is from late 15c. Meaning "action of depositing" is from 1590s. Properly,
deposition belongs to deposit, but deposit and depose have become totally confused and English deposition partakes of senses belonging to both.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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American Heritage
Science Dictionary
deposition   (děp'ə-zĭsh'ən)  Pronunciation Key 

  1. The accumulation or laying down of matter by a natural process, as the laying down of sediments in a river or the accumulation of mineral deposits in a bodily organ.

  2. The process of changing from a gas to a solid without passing through an intermediate liquid phase. carbon dioxide, at a pressure of one atmosphere, undergoes deposition at about -78 degrees Celsius. Compare sublimation.


The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2002. Published by Houghton Mifflin. All rights reserved.
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Example sentences
As the reactants are used up, the rates of deposition change, resulting in
  variations in the thickness of the coating.
The deposition was in its fifth grueling hour.
The forbidden wishes must thank this nocturnal deposition of the censor for
  being able to raise their heads again.
Other ongoing threats include acid rain deposition and air pollution.
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