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
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
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'semidesert.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
1845, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near semidesert
Cite this Entry
“Semidesert.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/semidesert. Accessed 16 Apr. 2024.
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More from Merriam-Webster on semidesert
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about semidesert
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