Definition of "desert" []

• A barren or desolate area, especially: (noun)
• A dry, often sandy region of little rainfall, extreme temperatures, and sparse vegetation. (noun)
• A region of permanent cold that is largely or entirely devoid of life. (noun)
• An apparently lifeless area of water. (noun)
• An empty or forsaken place; a wasteland: a cultural desert. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "It is true that in almost every desert there are these sandy plains, yet are there other parts of its surface of a far different character, equally deserving the name of _desert_."
• "That's not to say I'm perfect – I've acquired the nickname 'desert cactus' because I hardly drink during training, which is something I need to work on."
• "The term desert is far more true because wasteland is abhorrently incorrect."