DESERT


Meaning of DESERT in English

~ 1 [ dɪ'zə:t ]

■ verb

1》 callously or treacherously abandon.

2》 [usu. as adjective ~ed ] leave (a place), causing it to appear empty.

3》 illegally leave the armed forces.

Derivatives

~ion noun

Origin

ME: from OFr. ~er , from late L. ~are , from L. ~us (see ~ 2 ).

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~ 2 [ 'dɛzət ]

■ noun

1》 a waterless, desolate area of land with little or no vegetation, typically covered with sand.

2》 a situation or area considered dull and uninteresting: a cultural ~.

■ adjective like a ~; uninhabited and desolate.

Origin

ME: via OFr. from late L. ~um 'something left waste', neut. past participle of deserere 'leave, forsake'.

Concise Oxford English vocab.      Сжатый оксфордский словарь английского языка.