Meaning of desert | Babel Free

Definitions

1. That which is deserved or merited; a just punishment or reward.
   in-plural, often
2. A barren area of land or desolate terrain, especially one with little water or vegetation; a wasteland.
   countable, uncountable
3. To forsake one's duty or post, especially to be absent without leave from the armed forces with no intention of returning.
4. In particular, a barren, arid area of land which is hot, with sandy, rocky, or parched ground.
   countable, uncountable
5. A dry, barren region, usually having sandy or rocky soil and little or no vegetation. Most deserts receive less than 10 inches (25 centimeters) of precipitation each year, concentrated in short bursts. Deserts cover about one fifth of the Earth's surface and are mainly located along the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn.
6. Any barren place or situation.
   countable, figuratively, uncountable
7. A tract of unproductive land:badlands, barren (often used in plural), waste, wasteland, wilderness.
8. Something justly deserved.Often used in plural:comeuppance, due, guerdon, recompense, reward, wage (often used in plural).
9. a man who deserts from the army etc. droster, wegloper فارٌّ من الجُنْدِيَّه дезертьор desertor zběh der Fahnenflüchtige desertør λιποτάκτηςdesertor väejooksik فراری rintamakarkuri déserteurעורק भगोड़ा dezerter (katona)szökevény desertir liðhlaupi disertore 脱走兵 탈영병 dezertyras dezertieris orang yang meninggalkan tentera tanpa izin deserteurdesertør, overløperdezerter ټښټدو desertor dezertor дезертир zbeh dezerter dezerter desertör คนหนีทหาร kaçak, firari 開小差的士兵，逃兵 дезертир فراری kẻ đảo ngũ 开小差...
   etc
10. (an) act of deserting. verlaat, wegloop هَجْر، تَرْك дезертиране deserção zběhnutí das Verlassen desertering; flugt εγκατάλειψη, λιποταξίαdeserción mahajätmine, deserteerimine ترک؛ رهاسازی؛ فرار rintamakarkuruus désertionנטישה, עריקה त्याग napuštanje, ostavljanje szökés, dezertálás desersi liðhlaup diserzione 見捨てること 탈주, 도망 pametimas, dezertyravimas pamešana; dezertēšana pengabaian desertiefrafall, svikt; desertering, faneflukt opuszczenie, dezercja پریښول deserção dezertare дезертирство dezer...
11. an area of barren country, usually hot, dry and sandy, where there is very little rain. Parts of the country are like a desert; (also adjective) desert plants. woestyn صَحْراء пустиня deserto poušť; pouštní die Wüste ørken; ørken- έρημοςdesierto kõrb بیابان؛ کویر aavikko désert; désertiqueמדבר रेगिस्तान pustinja sivatag gurun eyðimörk deserto; desertico 砂漠 사막 dykuma tuksnesis; tuksneša- padang pasir woestijnørkenpustynia دشګو بېديا، ريګستان، دښت، وچه ميره deserto deşert; deşer­tic пустыня púš...
    usually
12. desierto, yermo, páramo.
13. A barren or desolate area, especially:a. A dry, often sandy region of little rainfall, extreme temperatures, and sparse vegetation.
14. An empty or forsaken place; a wasteland: a cultural desert.

Equivalents

Examples

“And ye poore Pilgrimes, that vvith reſtleſſe toyle VVearie your ſelues in vvandring deſert vvayes […]”

“Not thus the land appear'd in ages past, A dreary desert and a gloomy waste.”

“It is wholly out of the power of language to convey any idea of the blissful enjoyment of obtaining water, after an almost total want of it, during eight and forty hours, in the scorching regions of an Arabian desert, in the month of July.”

“The desert storm was riding in its strength; the travellers lay beneath the mastery of the fell simoom. Whirling wreaths and columns of burning wind, rushed around and over them.”

“He declared that the country was an intellectual desert; that he was famishing for spiritual aliment, and for discourse on matters beyond mere nuggets, prospectings, and the price of gold.”

“By contrast, the WR route is an economic desert between Newbury and Taunton.”

“So the question that is commonly asked is, why put a media incubator in a media desert and have it managed by a civil servant?”

“just deserts”

“From the highest spire of contentment / my fortune is thrown; / and fear and grief and pain for my deserts / are my hopes, since hope is gone.”

“Who will believe my verse in time to come, If it were fill'd with your most high deserts?”

“July 4, 1789, Alexander Hamilton, Eulogium on Major-General Greene His reputation falls far below his desert.”

“"Nonsense, Mina. It is a shame to me to hear such a word. I would not hear it of you. And I shall not hear it from you. May God judge me by my deserts, and punish me with more bitter suffering than even this hour, if by any act or will of mine anything ever come between us!"”

“"It is true that certain common sense precepts of justice, particularly those which concern the protection of liberties and rights, or which express the claims of desert, seem to contradict this contention."”

“"For Aristotle, justice means giving people what they deserve, giving each person his or her due. But what is a person due? What are the relevant grounds of merit or desert?"”

“Francis, besides being an excellent Cook, knowing how to provide genteel Dinners, and giving aid in dressing them, prepared the Desert, made the Cake, and did every thing that Hyde & wife conjointly do;—[…]”

“They answer for caramel or gum paste baskets, for desert or suppers. […] BARBERRIES / For Deserts, or Second Course Pastry. […] Under these impressions—admitting, as they would, such a variety of combinations, the Author has confined himself to a plain selection of the principal articles in season in each month, merely to give a good general idea of laying out a table for deserts, leaving to the house[-]keeper to vary, and increase or diminish, according to her taste, or the extent of her company.”

“The deserts are far more superb; the painter, the florist, the decorator, and even the sculptor being engaged to complete them. Formerly a desert at a splendid fete in a private house has cost a thousand pounds, exclusive of plate and glass.”

CEFR level