1. sadness, low spirits; lowering, sinking; dent, hollow; economic slump. depression\de*pres"sion\ , n. [l. depressio: cf. f. dépression.].
2. the act of depressing.
3. the state of being depressed; a sinking.
4. a falling in of the surface; a sinking below its true place; a cavity or hollow; as, roughness consists in little protuberances and depressions.
5. humiliation; abasement, as of pride.
6. dejection; despondency; lowness. in a great depression of spirit.
7. diminution, as of trade, etc.; inactivity; dullness.
8. (astron.) the angular distance of a celestial object below the horizon.
9. (math.) the operation of reducing to a lower degree; -- said of equations.
10. (surg.) a method of operating for cataract; couching. see:
couch, v. t., 8.
11. The act of depressing.
12. The state of being depressed; a sinking.
13. A falling in of the surface; a sinking below its true place; a cavity or hollow; as, roughness consists in little protuberances and depressions.
14. Humiliation; abasement, as of pride.
15. Dejection; despondency; lowness.
16. Diminution, as of trade, etc.; inactivity; dullness.
17. The angular distance of a celestial object below the horizon.
18. The operation of reducing to a lower degree; said of equations.
19. A method of operating for cataract; couching.
20. See Couch, v. t., 8. pushing down; "depression of the space bar on the typewriter" sad feelings of gloom and inadequacy angular distance below the horizon a concavity in a surface produced by pressing; "he left the impression of his fingers in the soft mud" a mental state characterized by a pessimistic sense of inadequacy and a despondent lack of activity a long-term economic state characterized by unemployment and low prices and low levels of trade and investment a time period during the 1930s when there was a worldwide economic depression and mass unemployment.
21. 1. Depression is a mental state in which you are sad and feel that you cannot enjoy anything, because your situation is so difficult and unpleasant. Mr Thomas was suffering from depression.
22. A depression is a time when there is very little economic activity, which causes a lot of unemployment and poverty. He never forgot the hardships he witnessed during the Great Depression of the 1930s. = slump.
23. A depression in a surface is an area which is lower than the parts surrounding it. an area pockmarked by rain-filled depressions. = hollow.
24. A depression is a mass of air that has a low pressure and that often causes rain. Great Depression, the. In economics, a major downswing in the business cycle characterized by sharply reduced industrial production, widespread unemployment, a serious decline or cessation of growth in construction, and great reductions in international trade and capital movements. Unlike recessions, which may be limited to a single country, severe depressions such as the Great Depression encompass many nations. See also deflation; inflation. Neurotic or psychotic disorder marked by sadness, inactivity, difficulty in thinking and concentration, a significant increase or decrease in appetite and time spent sleeping, feelings of dejection and hopelessness, and sometimes suicidal tendencies. Probably the most common psychiatric complaint, depression has been described by physicians from at least the time of Hippocrates, who called it melancholia. Its course is extremely variable from person to person; it may be fleeting or permanent, mild or severe. Depression is more common in women than in men. The rates of incidence increase with age in men, while the peak for women is between the ages of 35 and.
25. Its causes can be both psychosocial (e.g., the loss of a loved one) and biochemical (chiefly, reduced quantities of the monoamines norepinephrine and serotonin). Treatment is usually a combination of psychotherapy and drug therapy (see:
antidepressant). A person who experiences alternating states of depression and extreme elation is said to suffer from bipolar disorder.