Main Entry: ¹des·ert

Pronunciation: \ˈde-zərt\

Function: noun

Etymology: Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Late Latin desertum, from Latin, neuter of desertus, past participle of deserere to desert, from de- + serere to join together — more at series

Date: 13th century

1 a : arid land with usually sparse vegetation; especially : such land having a very warm climate and receiving less than 25 centimeters (10 inches) of sporadic rainfall annually b : an area of water apparently devoid of life
2 archaic : a wild uninhabited and uncultivated tract
3 : a desolate or forbidding area <lost in a desert of doubt>

— de·ser·tic \de-ˈzər-tik\ adjective

— des·ert·like \-ˌlīk\ adjective