desert
1. [ verb ] leave someone who needs or counts on you; leave in the lurch
Synonyms: forsake abandon lurch desolate
Examples:

"The mother deserted her children"

Related terms: leave maroon ditch walk_out expose desertion forlornness forsaking
2. [ noun ] (ecology,geography) an arid region with little or no vegetation
Related terms: geographical_area biome Gobi Australian_Desert Atacama_Desert sonoran_desert Patagonian_Desert Kalahari Libyan_Desert Mojave Negev Namib_Desert Nubian_Desert Painted_Desert Gila_Desert Sahara Sinai colorado_desert gibson_desert great_sandy_desert great_victoria_desert simpson_desert Death_Valley Arabian_Desert
3. [ verb ] desert (a cause, a country or an army), often in order to join the opposing cause, country, or army
Synonyms: defect
Examples:

"If soldiers deserted Hitler's army, they were shot"

Related terms: flee rat desertion apostasy deserter protest
4. [ adjective ] located in a dismal or remote area; desolate
Synonyms: godforsaken wild waste
Examples:

"a desert island" "a godforsaken wilderness crossroads" "a wild stretch of land" "waste places"

Related terms: inhospitable
Similar spelling:   dessert
  deserts
  deserter
  deserted
  desertion
  Deckert
  decertify
  Descartes