Source : Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)

Deprecate \Dep"re*cate\ (d[e^]p"r[-e]*k[=a]t), v. t. [imp. & p.
   p. {Deprecated} (-k[=a]`t[e^]d); p. pr. & vb. n.
   {Deprecating} (-k[=a]`t[i^]ng).] [L. deprecatus, p. p. of
   deprecari to avert by player, to deprecate; de- + precari to
   pray. See {Pray}.]
   To pray against, as an evil; to seek to avert by prayer; to
   desire the removal of; to seek deliverance from; to express
   deep regret for; to disapprove of strongly.

         His purpose was deprecated by all round him, and he was
         with difficulty induced to adandon it.   --Sir W.
                                                  Scott.

Source : Free On-Line Dictionary of Computing

deprecated
     
        Said of a program or feature that is considered obsolescent
        and in the process of being phased out, usually in favour of a
        specified replacement.  Deprecated features can,
        unfortunately, linger on for many years.  This term appears
        with distressing frequency in standards documents when the
        committees writing the documents realise that large amounts of
        extant (and presumably happily working) code depend on the
        feature(s) that have passed out of favour.
     
        See also {dusty deck}.
     
        [{Jargon File}]
     
        (1995-04-19)