semiarid

[ sem-ee-ar-id, sem-ahy- ]

adjective(of a region, land, etc.)
  1. characterized by very little annual rainfall, usually from 10 to 20 inches (25 to 50 centimeters): the struggle to raise vegetables in semiarid regions.

Origin of semiarid

1
An Americanism dating back to 1895–1900; semi- + arid

Other words from semiarid

  • sem·i·a·rid·ity [sem-ee-uh-rid-i-tee, sem-ahy-], /ˌsɛm i əˈrɪd ɪ ti, ˌsɛm aɪ-/, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use semiarid in a sentence

  • Under the semi-arid conditions prevailing on many National Forests this work involves uncertainties and unsolved problems.

    Our National Forests | Richard H. Douai Boerker
  • From the semi-arid lands east of the Cascades to the rank vegetation of the Pacific side was an extraordinary change.

    Tenting To-night | Mary Roberts Rinehart
  • They do not suffer from the effects of hot summers but will not withstand drouth and are not well adapted to semi-arid conditions.

    The Grapes of New York | U. P. Hedrick
  • Therefore it is necessary for the Government to proclaim the countries themselves as arid or semi-arid, and legislate accordingly.

  • Italian irrigation laws may be taken as a model for all arid and semi-arid countries in the possession of Europeans.

British Dictionary definitions for semiarid

semiarid

/ (ˌsɛmɪˈærɪd) /


adjective
  1. characterized by scanty rainfall and scrubby vegetation, often occurring in continental interiors: the semiarid regions of Australia

Derived forms of semiarid

  • semiaridity, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for semiarid

semiarid

[ sĕm′ē-ărĭd ]


  1. Having low precipitation but able to support grassland and scrubby vegetation. Steppes have semiarid climates.

The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.