n.1 a desert; an uncultivated and uninhabited region.
2 part of a garden left with an uncultivated appearance.
3 (foll. by of) a confused assemblage of things.
Phrases and idioms:
in the wilderness out of political office. voice in the wilderness an unheeded advocate of reform (see Matt. 3:3 etc.).
Etymology: OE wildeornes f. wild deor wild deer