I. des·ert ˈde-zərt noun
Etymology: Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Late Latin desertum, from Latin, neuter of desertus, past participle of deserere to desert, from de- + serere to join together — more at series
Date: 13th century
1.
a. : arid land with usually sparse vegetation ; especially : such land having a very warm climate and receiving less than 25 centimeters (10 inches) of sporadic rainfall annually
b. : an area of water apparently devoid of life
2. archaic : a wild uninhabited and uncultivated tract
3. : a desolate or forbidding area
lost in a desert of doubt
• de·ser·tic de-ˈzər-tik adjective
• des·ert·like -ˌlīk adjective
II. des·ert ˈde-zərt adjective
Date: 13th century
1. : desolate and sparsely occupied or unoccupied
a desert island
2. : of or relating to a desert
3. archaic : forsaken
III. de·sert di-ˈzərt noun
Etymology: Middle English deserte, from Anglo-French, from feminine of desert, past participle of deservir to deserve
Date: 13th century
1. : the quality or fact of deserving reward or punishment
2. : deserved reward or punishment — usually used in plural
got their just desert s
3. : excellence , worth
IV. de·sert di-ˈzərt verb
Etymology: French déserter, from Late Latin desertare, frequentative of Latin deserere
Date: 1603
transitive verb
1. : to withdraw from or leave usually without intent to return
desert a town
2.
a. : to leave in the lurch
desert a friend in trouble
b. : to abandon (military service) without leave
intransitive verb
: to quit one's post, allegiance, or service without leave or justification ; especially : to abandon military duty without leave and without intent to return
Synonyms: see abandon
• de·sert·er noun