semiarid
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
1Other 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 BoerkerFrom 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 RinehartThey 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. HedrickTherefore 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
/ (ˌsɛmɪˈærɪd) /
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
[ sĕm′ē-ăr′ĭd ]
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.
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