desert
DEHZ-uht
Desert (noun) means a large, dry area of land with little rainfall, vegetation, or water, often sandy or rocky. Example: “They crossed the Sahara Desert by camel.”
noun
1
A large, dry area of land with little rainfall, vegetation, or water, often sandy or rocky.
"They crossed the Sahara Desert by camel."
"Very few plants can survive in the desert heat."
2
What someone deserves, whether reward or punishment (usually in the phrase "just deserts").
"He got his just deserts when the scheme finally collapsed."
verb
1
To abandon a place, person, or duty, especially when you had promised or were obligated to stay.
"He deserted his family without any warning."
"The soldier deserted his post during the night."
How to use desert
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA dry, barren land (noun), or to abandon someone/something you were meant to stick with (verb).
Common mistake
Easily confused with "dessert" (the sweet food eaten after a meal) — "desert" has one S, "dessert" has two.
Easily confused with
Common pairings
the Sahara desert
desert a post
just deserts
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Word forms
- Plural
- deserts
- Third person singular
- deserts
- Past tense
- deserted
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
They crossed the Sahara _____ by camel.
Etymology
From Old French desert, from Latin desertum, "an abandoned place," from deserere, "to abandon." Not related to "dessert" (the sweet course), despite the shared spelling root.
Synonyms
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Frequently asked questions
What does “desert” mean?
The word “desert” means a large, dry area of land with little rainfall, vegetation, or water, often sandy or rocky. In plain terms, a dry, barren land (noun), or to abandon someone/something you were meant to stick with (verb).
How do you pronounce “desert”?
“Desert” is pronounced DEHZ-uht (/ˈdɛz.ɚt/ in IPA).
How do you use “desert” in a sentence?
Here is “desert” used in a sentence: “They crossed the Sahara Desert by camel.”
What part of speech is “desert”?
Depending on how it is used, “desert” can be a noun and a verb.
Where does the word “desert” come from?
The word “desert” comes from Latin. From Old French desert, from Latin desertum, "an abandoned place," from deserere, "to abandon." Not related to "dessert" (the sweet course), despite the shared spelling root.
Is “desert” a common word?
“Desert” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the A2 level.
How many meanings does “desert” have?
“Desert” has 3 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a large, dry area of land with little rainfall, vegetation, or water, often sandy or rocky.
What is the difference between desert and dessert?
A desert is a large, dry area of land with little rain or vegetation, stressed on the first syllable (DEZ-ert). A dessert is a sweet dish eaten at the end of a meal, stressed on the second (di-ZERT). A handy tip: dessert has two s's because you always want a second helping.
What are the types of desert?
Deserts are not all sandy. Hot deserts like the Sahara are scorching by day; cold deserts like the Gobi have freezing winters. There are also coastal deserts and polar deserts such as Antarctica. What unites them is very low rainfall, not heat — a desert is defined by its dryness.
What makes a place a desert?
A place is classed as a desert mainly by how little precipitation it receives, typically under about 250 millimetres of rain a year. This scarcity of water limits vegetation and shapes the sandy or rocky landscape. Temperature varies widely between deserts, so dryness, not heat, is the true defining feature.
What plants and animals live in a desert?
Desert life is adapted to survive with little water. Plants like cacti and succulents store moisture and resist drought, while animals such as camels, lizards, snakes, and many insects conserve water and often shelter from the daytime heat. Despite the harsh conditions, deserts support surprisingly varied and resilient wildlife.
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