semidesert
noun
semi·des·ert
ˌse-mē-ˈde-zərt 
ˌse-ˌmī-,
-mi-
: an arid area that has some of the characteristics of a desert but has greater annual precipitation
Examples of semidesert in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
At the valley’s southernmost tip, which is surrounded by a shrub-steppe semidesert and is one of Canada’s hottest spots, conditions are ideal for reds such as syrahs and merlots.
—
Washington Post, 24 Nov. 2021
The largest scientific structure ever powers up in Africa
Towering above an ancient seabed in the Karoo—a remote semidesert in South Africa—is a seven-story dish antenna that will soon begin scanning the universe for its deepest secrets.
—Alex Baker-Whitcomb, Wired, 17 Dec. 2019
This dish antenna rises seven stories above an ancient seabed in the Karoo, a remote semidesert in South Africa.
—Laura Mallonee, Wired, 17 Dec. 2019
At the very least, the monsoonal flow gives Los Angeles a sticky, tropical feel, making a dry semidesert uncharacteristically muggy.
—Los Angeles Times, 24 July 2019
Within days, the deaths of the four American soldiers in the remote West African semidesert had veered into the incendiary issue of race relations in the United States.
—Thomas Gibbons-Neff, Helene Cooper and Eric Schmitt, New York Times, 9 Feb. 2018
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Washington Post, 24 Nov. 2021
The largest scientific structure ever powers up in Africa
Towering above an ancient seabed in the Karoo—a remote semidesert in South Africa—is a seven-story dish antenna that will soon begin scanning the universe for its deepest secrets.
—Alex Baker-Whitcomb, Wired, 17 Dec. 2019
This dish antenna rises seven stories above an ancient seabed in the Karoo, a remote semidesert in South Africa.
—Laura Mallonee, Wired, 17 Dec. 2019
At the very least, the monsoonal flow gives Los Angeles a sticky, tropical feel, making a dry semidesert uncharacteristically muggy.
—Los Angeles Times, 24 July 2019
Within days, the deaths of the four American soldiers in the remote West African semidesert had veered into the incendiary issue of race relations in the United States.
—Thomas Gibbons-Neff, Helene Cooper and Eric Schmitt, New York Times, 9 Feb. 2018
Cite this Entry
“Semidesert.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/semidesert. Accessed 14 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share