desert

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See also dessert, désert, and deșert

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[edit] English

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[edit] Etymology 1

Middle English from the Old French deserte (“to deserve”). This in turn is from the Vulgar Latin deservire (“to gain or merit by giving service”)

[edit] Pronunciation

[edit] Noun

desert (plural deserts)

  1. (usually in plural) That which is considered to be deserved or merited; a just punishment or reward
    • 1600, John Dowland, Flow My Tears
      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.
    • 1897, Bram Stoker, Dracula Chapter 21
      "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!"
[edit] Derived terms
[edit] Translations
that which is considered to be deserved or merited; a just punishment or reward

[edit] Etymology 2

French or Old French désert, from Vulgar Latin desertum, from Latin desertus (“left waste”), past participle of deserere (“abandon”).

[edit] Pronunciation

  • enPR: dĕ'zə(r)t, IPA: /ˈdɛzɚt/. SAMPA: /"dEz@(r)t/
  • Audio (US), noun
    		(file)

[edit] Noun

desert (plural deserts)

  1. A barren area of land or desolate terrain, especially one with little water or vegetation; a wasteland.
[edit] Translations
barren area
[edit] Derived terms

[edit] Etymology 3

French déserter, from Late Latin desertare, from Latin desertus, from deserere (“abandon”)

[edit] Pronunciation

  • enPR: dĭzû(r)t', IPA: /dɪˈzɜː(ɹ)t/, SAMPA: /dI"z3:(r)t/
  • Audio (US), verb
    		(file)

[edit] Verb

desert (third-person singular simple present deserts, present participle deserting, simple past and past participle deserted)

  1. 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. To leave one's duty or post, especially to leave a military or naval unit without permission
    Anyone found deserting will be shot.
[edit] Derived terms
[edit] Translations
to abandon
to leave military service

[edit] Anagrams

[edit] Catalan

[edit] Etymology

From Latin dēsertum.

[edit] Noun

desert m. (plural deserts)

  1. desert (desolate terrain)

[edit] Serbo-Croatian

[edit] Noun

dèsert m. (Cyrillic spelling дѐсерт)

  1. dessert

[edit] Declension

    declension of desert
singular plural
nominative desert deserti
genitive deserta deserta
dative desertu desertima
accusative desert deserte
vocative deserte deserti
locative desertu desertima
instrumental desertom desertima
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