Desert | Mean of desert in English Dictionary
/ˈdɛzɚt/
- Noun
- an area of very dry land that is usually covered with sand and is very hot
- Many settlers died while trying to cross the desert.
- the Arabian and African deserts
- The region is mostly desert.
- the shifting desert sands
- a study of desert plants
- stranded on a desert island [=an island where no people live]
- a place or area that does not have something interesting or important
- For many years, the city was a cultural desert, but now there are several museums and also a concert hall.
- Verb
- to go away from (a place)
- The inhabitants had deserted the town.
- If the nest is disturbed, the bird may desert [=abandon] it.
- to leave and stop helping or supporting (someone or something)
- She had been married for just over a year when her husband deserted her.
- He was deserted by his friends and family.
- He vowed that he would never desert [=abandon] a friend in trouble.
- He urged people not to desert the cause. [=not to stop supporting the cause]
- to no longer be with (someone) in a time of need
- The soldiers prayed that their courage would not desert them. [=that they would not lose their courage]
- She was a respected academic until late in life when her memory deserted her. [=she lost her ability to remember things]
- to leave the military without permission and without intending to return
- Many soldiers deserted during the first weeks of the war.