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Vlivef Posted 7 years ago
Vocabulary

A question about one of the meanings the noun 'desert' has

Hi,

According to the online MW (https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/desert, entry #1) the noun 'desert' can also mean

quote->

an area of water apparently https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/devoid of life (*)

<-unquote

Could somebody please comment on this "eye-opener"? ...or maybe this meaning is no eye-opener at all for most native speakers?

If you could give me a few usage examples with desert = *?

Looking forward to your comments....Thank you!

  

Top answer

I believe the Antarctic is also referred to as a 'desert'. It's essentially an area with no rainfall, and our common view of a sandy desert such as the Sahara is only one facet of the geographical term 'desert'. If an area has no life, and is barren, it is a desert.

— David Hatton

  • I believe the Antarctic is also referred to as a 'desert'.
  • It's essentially an area with no rainfall, and our common view of a sandy desert such as the Sahara is only one facet of the geographical term 'desert'.
  • If an area has no life, and is barren, it is a desert.
  • This seems to have been applied to water as well, although it is strange to my ear too.
  • I'm sure that it makes sense - if an area of water is so unwelcoming to natural life then surely it must also be a 'desert' through the sense of being barren and lifeless.
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3 Answers
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I believe the Antarctic is also referred to as a 'desert'. It's essentially an area with no rainfall, and our common view of a sandy desert such as the Sahara is only one facet of the geographical term 'desert'.

If an area has no life, and is barren, it is a desert. This seems to have been applied to water as well, although it is strange to my ear too. I'm sure that it makes sense -

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vlivefan area of water apparently devoid of life (*)

The OED has yet to recognize this definition. It sounds strange to me, too, but there is really nothing wrong with it. When we hear "desert", we immediately think of hot sand stretching to the horizon under a blinding white sun; giant saguaro cactuses towering like so many satanic scarecrows, casti

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vlivefIf you could give me a few usage examples with desert = *?

Food desert.

http://americannutritionassociation.org/newsletter/usda-defines-food-deserts

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