desert
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desert
a dry, barren region: Mojave Desert; deserved: received his just desert; abandon: desert a family to pursue selfish desires
Not to be confused with:
dessert – sweet food, often served as the last course of a meal: I’ll have my dessert first.
Abused, Confused, & Misused Words by Mary Embree Copyright © 2007, 2013 by Mary Embree
des·ert 1
(dĕz′ərt)n.
1. A barren or desolate area, especially:
a. A dry, often sandy region of little rainfall, extreme temperatures, and sparse vegetation.
b. A region of permanent cold that is largely or entirely devoid of life.
c. An apparently lifeless area of water.
2. An empty or forsaken place; a wasteland: a cultural desert.
3. Archaic A wild and uninhabited region.
adj.
1. Of, relating to, characteristic of, or inhabiting a desert: desert fauna.
2. Wild and uninhabited: a desert island.
[Middle English, from Old French, from Late Latin dēsertum, from neuter past participle of dēserere, to desert; see desert3.]
de·sert 2
(dĭ-zûrt′)n.
1. often deserts Something that is deserved or merited, especially a punishment: They got their just deserts when the scheme was finally uncovered.
2. The state or fact of deserving reward or punishment.
[Middle English, from Old French deserte, from feminine past participle of deservir, to deserve; see deserve.]
Word History: When Shakespeare says in Sonnet 72, "Unless you would devise some virtuous lie, / To do more for me than mine own desert," he is using the word desert in the sense of "worthiness; merit," a word perhaps most familiar to us in the plural, meaning "something that is deserved," as in the phrase just deserts. This word goes back to the Latin word dēservīre, "to devote oneself to the service of," which in Vulgar Latin came to mean "to merit by service." Dēservīre is made up of dē-, meaning "thoroughly," and servīre, "to serve." Knowing this, we can distinguish this desert from desert, "a wasteland," and desert, "to abandon," both of which go back to Latin dēserere, "to forsake, leave uninhabited," which is made up of dē-, expressing the notion of undoing, and the verb serere, "to link together." We can also distinguish all three deserts from dessert, "a sweet course at the end of a meal," which is from the French word desservir, "to clear the table." Desservir is made up of des-, expressing the notion of reversal, and servir (from Latin servīre), "to serve," hence, "to unserve" or "to clear the table."
de·sert 3
(dĭ-zûrt′)v. de·sert·ed, de·sert·ing, de·serts
v.tr.
1. To leave empty or alone; abandon.
2. To withdraw from, especially in spite of a responsibility or duty; forsake: deserted her friend in a time of need.
3. To abandon (a military post, for example) in violation of orders or an oath.
v.intr.
To forsake one's duty or post, especially to be absent without leave from the armed forces with no intention of returning.
[French déserter, from Late Latin dēsertāre, frequentative of Latin dēserere, to abandon : dē-, de- + serere, to join; see ser- in Indo-European roots.]
de·sert′er n.
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
desert
(ˈdɛzət)n
1. (Physical Geography) a region that is devoid or almost devoid of vegetation, esp because of low rainfall
2. (Physical Geography) an uncultivated uninhabited region
3. a place which lacks some desirable feature or quality: a cultural desert.
4. (Physical Geography) (modifier) of, relating to, or like a desert; infertile or desolate
[C13: from Old French, from Church Latin dēsertum, from Latin dēserere to abandon, literally: to sever one's links with, from de- + serere to bind together]
desert
(dɪˈzɜːt)vb
1. (tr) to leave or abandon (a person, place, etc) without intending to return, esp in violation of a duty, promise, or obligation
2. (Military) military to abscond from (a post or duty) with no intention of returning
3. (tr) to fail (someone) in time of need: his good humour temporarily deserted him.
4. (Law) (tr) Scots law to give up or postpone (a case or charge)
[C15: from French déserter, from Late Latin dēsertāre, from Latin dēserere to forsake; see desert1]
deˈserter n
deˈserted adj
desert
(dɪˈzɜːt)n
1. (often plural) something that is deserved or merited; just reward or punishment
2. the state of deserving a reward or punishment
3. virtue or merit
[C13: from Old French deserte, from deservir to deserve]
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014
des•ert1
(ˈdɛz ərt)n.
1. an arid, sandy region capable of supporting only a few, usu. specialized, life forms.
2. any area in which few forms of life can exist because of lack of water or absence of soil.
3. any place lacking in something desirable: The town was a cultural desert.
adj. 4. of, pertaining to, or like a desert; desolate; barren: a desert island.
5. occurring or living in the desert: a desert palm.
6. designed or suitable for use in the desert.
[1175–1225; < Late Latin dēsertum derivative of dēserere to abandon, forsake =dē- de- + serere to join together (in a line); compare series]
de•ser•tic (dɪˈzɜr tɪk) adj.
de•sert2
(dɪˈzɜrt)v.t.
1. to leave (a person, place, etc.) without intending to return: He deserted his wife.
2. to run away from (military service) without leave.
3. to fail (someone) at a time of need: None of his friends had deserted him.
v.i. 4. to forsake or leave one's duty, obligations, etc.
[1470–80; < Middle French déserter < Late Latin dēsertāre, frequentative of Latin dēserere; see desert1]
de•sert′er, n.
de•sert3
(dɪˈzɜrt)n.
1. Often, deserts. reward or punishment that is deserved: to get one's just deserts.
2. the state or fact of deserving reward or punishment.
3. the fact of deserving well; merit; virtue.
[1275–1325; < Old French deserte, derivative of deservir to deserve]
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
des·ert
(dĕz′ərt) A dry, barren region, usually having sandy or rocky soil and little or no vegetation. Most deserts receive less than 10 inches (25 centimeters) of precipitation each year, concentrated in short bursts. Deserts cover about one fifth of the Earth's surface and are mainly located along the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn.
Did You Know? Spell it with two s's (dessert) and it's ice cream. Spell it with one s (desert) and it's a place where you'd have trouble finding a glass of water, let alone a scoop of vanilla. A desert is defined by the water you won't find there. There's no official standard, but many people say that any place that gets less than 10 inches of precipitation a year qualifies. Deserts do not have to be hot. Even the Sahara Desert in Africa, famous for heat, can get cold at night. And although many people think of the Sahara as the world's biggest desert, that distinction actually belongs to Antarctica, which is incredibly cold and amazingly dry, receiving the frozen equivalent of less than 2 inches of water per year. In spite of this dryness, some animals and plants thrive in deserts. Each desert is therefore a unique ecosystem, a particular environment that includes organisms interacting with it and with each other.
The American Heritage® Student Science Dictionary, Second Edition. Copyright © 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Desert
of lapwing: flock of lapwing—Bk. of St. Albans, 1486.Dictionary of Collective Nouns and Group Terms. Copyright 2008 The Gale Group, Inc. All rights reserved.
desert
– dessert1. 'desert' as a noun
A desert /'dezət/ is a large area of land where there is very little water or rain, no trees, and very few plants.
They crossed the Sahara Desert.
2. 'desert' as a verb
When people or animals desert /dɪ'zɜːt/ a place, they all leave it.
Poor farmers are deserting their fields and coming here looking for jobs.
If you desert someone, you leave them and no longer help or support them.
All our friends have deserted us.
3. 'dessert'
Dessert /dɪ'zɜːt/ is sweet food served at the end of a meal.
For dessert there was ice cream.
Collins COBUILD English Usage © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 2004, 2011, 2012
desert
Past participle: deserted
Gerund: deserting
| Imperative |
|---|
| desert |
| desert |
Collins English Verb Tables © HarperCollins Publishers 2011
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
Switch to new thesaurus
| Noun | 1. |  desert - arid land with little or no vegetationbiome - a major biotic community characterized by the dominant forms of plant life and the prevailing climate oasis - a fertile tract in a desert (where the water table approaches the surface) |
| Verb | 1. |  desert - leave someone who needs or counts on you; leave in the lurch; "The mother deserted her children"leave - go and leave behind, either intentionally or by neglect or forgetfulness; "She left a mess when she moved out"; "His good luck finally left him"; "her husband left her after 20 years of marriage"; "she wept thinking she had been left behind" expose - abandon by leaving out in the open air; "The infant was exposed by the teenage mother"; "After Christmas, many pets get abandoned" walk out - leave suddenly, often as an expression of disapproval; "She walked out on her husband and children" ditch - forsake; "ditch a lover" |
| 2. | desert - desert (a cause, a country or an army), often in order to join the opposing cause, country, or army; "If soldiers deserted Hitler's army, they were shot" rat - desert one's party or group of friends, for example, for one's personal advantage | |
| 3. | desert - leave behind; "the students deserted the campus after the end of exam period" |
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.
desert
1noun
1. wilderness, waste, wilds, wasteland, dust bowl The vehicles have been modified to suit conditions in the desert.
adjective
1. barren, dry, waste, wild, empty, bare, lonely, solitary, desolate, arid, unproductive, infertile, uninhabited, uncultivated, unfruitful, untilled the desert wastes of Mexico
Deserts
Arabian, Atacama, Dasht-i-Lut or Dasht-e-Lut, Death Valley, Gibson, Gobi, Great Sandy, Great Victoria, Kalahari, Kara Kum, Kyzyl Kum, Libyan, Mohave or Mojave, Nubian, Rub'al Khali, Sahara, Taklimakan Shama, Thardesert
2verb
1. abandon, leave, give up, quit (informal), withdraw from, move out of, relinquish, renounce, vacate, forsake, go away from, leave empty, relinquish possession of Poor farmers are deserting their fields and looking for jobs.
2. leave, abandon, dump (informal), strand, ditch (informal), betray, maroon, walk out on (informal), forsake, jilt, run out on (informal), throw over, leave stranded, leave high and dry, leave (someone) in the lurch Her husband deserted her years ago.
leave maintain, look after, sustain, take care of, provide for, succour, be a source of strength to
leave maintain, look after, sustain, take care of, provide for, succour, be a source of strength to
3. abscond, flee, defect, decamp, go AWOL (informal), go absent without leave, go over the hill (Military slang), take French leave He deserted from the army last month.
Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002
desert 1
nounA tract of unproductive land:
desert 2
nounSomething justly deserved.Often used in plural:
Informal: lump (used in plural).
Idioms: what is coming to one, what one has coming.
desert 3
verb1. To give up or leave without intending to return or claim again:
Idioms: run out on, walk out on.
2. To abandon one's cause or party usually to join another:
Slang: rat.
Idioms: change sides, turn one's coat.
The American Heritage® Roget's Thesaurus. Copyright © 2013, 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Translations
poušťpouštnízběhnoutopustit
ørkensvigtedesertereflygteforlade
dezerto
kõrb
autiomaahylätäaavikko
pustinjapustinjski
dezertálmegszökiksivatag
eyðimörkeyîimörkgerast liîhlaupiyfirgefa, fara frá
砂漠
사막
atstātdezertētpamesttuksneša-tuksnesis
púšťpúšťovnýzbehnúť
puščavazapustitidezertirati
pustinjaпустиња
öken
ทะเลทราย
çölfirar etmekterk etmek
sa mạc
desert
1 [ˈdezət]A. N → desierto m
B. CPD [climate, region] → desértico; [tribe, people] → del desierto
desert boots NPL → botines mpl de ante
desert island N → isla f desierta
desert rat N (Mil) → rata f del desierto
desert boots NPL → botines mpl de ante
desert island N → isla f desierta
desert rat N (Mil) → rata f del desierto
desert
2 [dɪˈzɜːt]A. VT (Mil, Jur etc) → desertar de; [+ person] → abandonar
his courage deserted him → su valor le abandonó or se esfumó
his courage deserted him → su valor le abandonó or se esfumó
B. VI (Mil) → desertar (from, to de a)
Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005
desert
[ˈdɛzərt] [dɪˈzɜːrt] vb
vt
(= leave) [+ place] → déserter, abandonner
(= abandon) [+ wife, family] → abandonner
to be deserted by sb [+ husband, supporter] → être abandonné(e) par qn
to be deserted by sb [+ husband, supporter] → être abandonné(e) par qn
Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005
desert
1n (lit, fig) → Wüste f
desert
2vt (= leave) → verlassen; (= abandon) person, cause, party → im Stich lassen; by the time the police arrived the place was deserted → als die Polizei eintraf, war niemand mehr da; in winter the place is deserted → im Winter ist der Ort verlassen; to desert the army → von der Armee desertieren
vi (Mil, fig) → desertieren, Fahnenflucht begehen; to desert from the army → von der Armee desertieren; to desert to the rebels → zu den Rebellen überlaufen
Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007
Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995
desert1
(diˈzəːt) verb1. to go away from and leave without help etc; to leave or abandon. Why did you desert us?
2. to run away, usually from the army. He was shot for trying to desert.
deˈserted adjective1. with no people etc. The streets are completely deserted.
2. abandoned. his deserted wife and children.
deˈserter noun a man who deserts from the army etc.
deˈsertion (-ʃən) noun (an) act of deserting.
desert2
(ˈdezət) noun an area of barren country, usually hot, dry and sandy, where there is very little rain. Parts of the country are like a desert; (also adjective) desert plants.
the Sahara desert (not dessert).
Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary © 2006-2013 K Dictionaries Ltd.
desert
→ صَحْرَاء poušť ørken Wüste έρημος desierto autiomaa désert pustinja deserto 砂漠 사막 woestijn ørken pustynia deserto пустыня öken ทะเลทราย çöl sa mạc 沙漠Multilingual Translator © HarperCollins Publishers 2009
desert
n. desierto, yermo, páramo.
English-Spanish Medical Dictionary © Farlex 2012