desert · Contextualize

Etymology

From Middle English desert (“wilderness”), from Old French desert, from Latin dēsertum, past participle of dēserō (“to abandon”). Generally displaced native Old English wēsten. False cognate of Egyptian dšrt.

derived from dēsertum
derived from desert
inherited from desert — “wilderness”

Definitions

1
A barren area of land or desolate terrain, especially one with little water or vegetation
A barren area of land or desolate terrain, especially one with little water or vegetation; a wasteland.
- 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.
2
Any barren place or situation.
- 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?
3
Usually of a place
Usually of a place: abandoned, deserted, or uninhabited.
- They were marooned on a desert island in the Pacific.
- And he said vnto them, Come yee your selues apart into a desert place, and rest a while. For there were many comming and going, and they had no leisure so much as to eate.
- He […] went aside privately into a desert place.
›+ 4 more definitionsshow fewer
1. 4
  To leave (anything that depends on one's presence to survive, exist, or succeed),…
  To leave (anything that depends on one's presence to survive, exist, or succeed), especially when contrary to a promise or obligation; to abandon; to forsake.
  - You can't just drive off and desert me here, in the middle of nowhere.
2. 5
  To leave one's duty or post, especially to leave a military or naval unit without…
  To leave one's duty or post, especially to leave a military or naval unit without permission.
  - Anyone found deserting will be punished.
3. 6
  That which is deserved or merited
  That which is deserved or merited; a just punishment or reward.
  - 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?
4. 7
  Obsolete form of dessert.
  - 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;—[…]

The neighborhood

Derived

Asian desert warbler, Central Desert, Chinese desert cat, concrete desert, daughter of the desert, deagle, desert apricot, desert bean, desert blue, desert boot, desert candle, desert cat, Desert Center, desert chicory, desert cooler, desert cottontail, desert dandelion, desert date, desert dolly, desert fox, desert fruit cake, desert glue, desert hare, desert holly, desertic, deserticole, deserticolous, desertification, desertify, desert ironwood, desert island, desert kite, desert kit fox, desertland, desert lavender, desertlike, desert lily, desert locust, desert lynx, desert marigold · +60 more

Vish — recursive loop

A definitional loop anchored at desert. Each word in the ring is defined by the next; follow the chain far enough and it folds back on itself. Scroll to it and watch.

A definitional loop anchored at desert. Each word in the ring appears in the definition of the next; follow the chain far enough and it folds back on itself.

9 hops · closes at desert

curated · pre-corpus. live cycle detection across the full graph is the next major milestone.