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deserter

 - 4 dictionary results

des⋅ert

1[dez-ert]
–noun
1. a region so arid because of little rainfall that it supports only sparse and widely spaced vegetation or no vegetation at all: The Sahara is a vast sandy desert.
2. any area in which few forms of life can exist because of lack of water, permanent frost, or absence of soil.
3. an area of the ocean in which it is believed no marine life exists.
4. (formerly) any unsettled area between the Mississippi and the Rocky Mountains thought to be unsuitable for human habitation.
5. any place lacking in something: The town was a cultural desert.
–adjective
6. of, pertaining to, or like a desert; desolate; barren.
7. occurring, living, or flourishing in the desert: a desert tribe; a desert palm.
8. designed or suitable for wear in the desert, as cool, protective clothing: a big, wide-brimmed desert hat.

Origin:
1175–1225; ME < AF < LL dēsertum (neut.), n. use of ptp. of L dēserere to abandon, forsake, equiv. to dē- de- + serere to join together (in a line); cf. series


de⋅ser⋅tic [di-zur-tik] , adjective
des⋅ert⋅like, adjective


1. Desert, waste, wilderness refer to areas that are largely uninhabited. Desert emphasizes lack of water; it refers to a dry, barren, treeless region, usually sandy: an oasis in a desert. Waste emphasizes lack of inhabitants and of cultivation; it is used of wild, barren land: a desolate waste. Wilderness emphasizes the difficulty of finding one's way, whether because of barrenness or of dense vegetation: a trackless wilderness.

de⋅sert

2[di-zurt]
–verb (used with object)
1. to leave (a person, place, etc.) without intending to return, esp. in violation of a duty, promise, or the like: He deserted his wife.
2. (of military personnel) to leave or run away from (service, duty, etc.) with the intention of never returning.
3. to fail (someone) at a time of need: None of his friends had deserted him.
–verb (used without object)
4. to forsake or leave one's duty, obligations, etc. (sometimes fol. by from, to, etc.): Many deserted during the food shortage.
5. (of military personnel) to leave service, duty, etc., with no intention of returning: Troops were deserting to the enemy.

Origin:
1470–80; < MF déserter < LL dēsertāre, freq. of L dēserere; see desert 1


de⋅sert⋅ed⋅ly, adverb
de⋅sert⋅ed⋅ness, noun
de⋅sert⋅er, noun


1. Desert, abandon, forsake mean to leave behind persons, places, or things. Desert implies intentionally violating an oath, formal obligation, or duty: to desert campaign pledges. Abandon suggests giving up wholly and finally, whether of necessity, unwillingly, or through shirking responsibilities: to abandon a hopeless task; abandon a child. Forsake has emotional connotations, since it implies violating obligations of affection or association: to forsake a noble cause.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To deserter
de·sert 3   (dĭ-zûrt')   
v.   de·sert·ed, de·sert·ing, de·serts

v.   tr.
  1. To leave empty or alone; abandon.

  2. To withdraw from, especially in spite of a responsibility or duty; forsake: deserted her friend in a time of need.

  3. To abandon (a military post, for example) in violation of orders or an oath.

v.   intr.
To forsake one's duty or post, especially to be absent without leave from the armed forces with no intention of returning.

[French déserter, from Late Latin dēsertāre, frequentative of Latin dēserere, to abandon : dē-, de- + serere, to join; see ser-2 in Indo-European roots.]
de·sert'er n.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Word Origin & History

desert  (v.)
"to leave," c.1380, from O.Fr. deserter "leave," lit. "undo or sever connection," from L.L. desertare, freq. of L. deserere "to abandon," from de- "undo" + serere "join" (see series). Military sense is first recorded 1647.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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