semiarid

adjective

semi·ar·id | \ ˌse-mē-ˈer-əd

How to pronounce semiarid (audio)

, -ˈa-rəd, ˌse-ˌmī-, -mi- \

Definition of semiarid

: characterized by light rainfall especially : having from about 10 to 20 inches (25 to 51 centimeters) of annual precipitation

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Examples of semiarid in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web In the 1930s, the federal government began to build a network of dams, pipelines, and canals that moved water from the state’s wetter north to farms in its semiarid south. — Erik Stokstad, Science | AAAS, "Droughts exposed California’s thirst for groundwater. Now, the state hopes to refill its aquifers," 16 Apr. 2020 This was apparently the case with the man who was bitten in late February by a puff adder, a venomous snake native to semiarid regions (i.e., not Ireland). — Gillian Brockell, BostonGlobe.com, "Ireland reports the first venomous snake bite in its history, right before St. Patrick’s Day," 5 Mar. 2020 Contrary to these statements, Syria’s deserts are not very sandy but rather more dusty and semiarid. — Siobhán O'grady And, Washington Post, "Nine head-scratching moments from Trump’s Syria remarks at the White House," 23 Oct. 2019 In the semiarid hills of the Nebraska Panhandle and eastern Wyoming, where summer rains are rare, farmers depend on irrigation water diverted from rivers through a network of canals and tunnels. — Mitch Smith, New York Times, "America’s Farmers, Reeling From Floods, Face a New Problem: No Water," 29 July 2019 Now, as concerns mount about the impact of climate change on the Sahel, the semiarid band of grassland south of the Sahara that is already one of the most impoverished regions on earth, the Great Green Wall is filling a new role. — Aryn Baker / Mbar Toubab, Time, "Can a 4,815-Mile Wall of Trees Help Curb Climate Change in Africa?," 12 Sep. 2019 This is Texas east of the Pecos, a land of cowpokes and unending fields of cotton, a crop that loves the merciless sun of its semiarid climate. — Mary Ann Anderson, Twin Cities, "Lubbock is smack in middle of nowhere — and everywhere," 20 July 2019 This is a land of caprock, cowpokes and unending fields of cotton, a crop that loves the merciless sun of its semiarid climate. — Mary Ann Anderson, chicagotribune.com, "Lots to love in Lubbock, a West Texas town with a cowboy past and a bright future," 18 July 2019 The vast expanse of desert and semiarid land is home to militants with ties to Al Qaeda and the Islamic State. — Danielle Paquette, BostonGlobe.com, "At least 95 slain in Mali village amid surge in ethnic, extremist violence," 10 June 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'semiarid.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Dictionary Entries near semiarid

semi-autobiographical

semi-autobiography

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Cite this Entry

“Semiarid.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/semiarid. Accessed 26 Feb. 2021.

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