desert
- 01 A2 Elementary
n.a large, dry area of land with very little water or many plants.
n.a barren, arid region of land characterized by extremely low rainfall and sparse vegetation.
Simple“The camel is well-adapted to surviving the heat of the desert.”
In context“The expedition struggled to navigate the vast expanse of the Sahara desert as the sandstorms obscured their landmarks.”
PitfallWe had chocolate cake for desert. We had chocolate cake for dessert.The sweet course at the end of a meal is spelled with two 's's (dessert). The dry place has only one 's'.
- 02 C1 Advanced
n.what someone deserves, especially a punishment for doing something wrong.
n.that which is deserved or merited, typically used in the plural to refer to just consequences.
Simple“After years of lying to his partners, he finally got his just deserts.”
In context“The villain's ultimate downfall in the final act was seen by the audience as his just deserts for a lifetime of cruelty.”
UsageAlmost exclusively used in the plural phrase 'just deserts'.
Synonyms - 03 B2 Upper Intermediate
v.to leave someone or something behind, especially when you have a duty to stay.
v.to abandon a person, place, or cause in violation of a duty or obligation.
Simple“The soldier decided to desert his post during the middle of the night.”
In context“He felt that his friends had deserted him in his hour of greatest need, leaving him to face the crisis alone.”
- 04 C1 Advanced
v.to leave the army or navy without permission.
v.to leave one's military or naval unit without intending to return and without official leave.
Simple“He was arrested after he tried to desert from the army and go home.”
In context“During the height of the conflict, several hundred soldiers chose to desert rather than participate in the offensive.”
UsageThe verb is intransitive in this specific military context.
desert vs dessert — Dessert is the sweet course at the end of a meal, while a desert is a dry, sandy region with little water.
From Middle English desert (“wilderness”), from Old French desert, from Latin dēsertum, past participle of dēserō (“to abandon”). Generally displaced native Old English wēsten. False cognate of Egyptian dšrt.
Borrowed from French déserter, from Late Latin dēsertō, from Latin dēsertus, from dēserō (“abandon”).
From Middle English desert, deseert, from Old French deserte, from deservir (“to deserve”), from Vulgar Latin dēserviō (“to gain or merit by giving service”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.