desert
n. countablen. a large, dry area of land where very little rain falls. Because it is so dry, not many plants or animals can live there.
n. a barren area of landscape where little precipitation occurs and, consequently, living conditions are hostile for plant and animal life.
The camel walked slowly across the hot desert.
Travelers must carry plenty of water when crossing the desert to avoid dehydration in the extreme heat.
While many imagine the desert as a vast expanse of shifting sand dunes, much of the terrain actually consists of rocky plateaus and sparse, hardy scrubland.
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”).
Often used with the definite article 'the' when referring to a specific geographic region.