desert

noun

/ˈdezət/

/ˈdezərt/

[countable, uncountable] see also deserts

a large area of land that has very little water and very few plants growing on it. Many deserts are covered by sand.沙漠；荒漠；荒原
- the Sahara Desert撒哈拉大沙漠
- Somalia is mostly desert.索马里大部分地区都是荒漠。
- They travelled many miles across burning desert sands.他们在灼热的沙漠里行走了许多英里。
- Occasionally, we passed a desert oasis surrounded by small tracts of grass and shrub.偶尔，我们会经过一片被小块草地和灌木包围的沙漠绿洲。
- (figurative) The town has become a cultural desert (= a place without any culture).这个镇子变成了一个文化荒漠。
- He drove off into the desert.他驾车进入了沙漠。
- The desert stretched for endless miles on all sides of us.沙漠向我们周围无限延伸。
- The land loses its protective cover of vegetation and soon turns into desert.土地失去植被保护就会很快变成沙漠。
- cold nights in the desert沙漠里寒冷的夜晚
- green fields surrounded by arid desert干旱沙漠包围的绿洲
- their journey across the desert他们穿越沙漠的旅行
- vast tracts of desert land大片大片一望无际的沙漠地带
Topics Geographya2
Collocations Dictionary
adjective
- arid
- barren
- dry
- …
verb + desert
- become
- turn into
- turn to
- …
desert + verb
- stretch
desert + noun
- area
- country
- land
- …
preposition
- across the desert
- through the desert
- in the desert
- …
词源noun Middle English: via Old French from late Latin desertum ‘something left waste’, neuter past participle of deserere ‘leave, forsake’.

desert

verb

/dɪˈzɜːt/

/dɪˈzɜːrt/

动词形式

present simple I / you / we / they desert	/dɪˈzɜːt/ /dɪˈzɜːrt/
he / she / it deserts	/dɪˈzɜːts/ /dɪˈzɜːrts/
past simple deserted	/dɪˈzɜːtɪd/ /dɪˈzɜːrtɪd/
past participle deserted	/dɪˈzɜːtɪd/ /dɪˈzɜːrtɪd/
-ing form deserting	/dɪˈzɜːtɪŋ/ /dɪˈzɜːrtɪŋ/

Idioms

[transitive] desert somebody to leave somebody without help or support抛弃，离弃，遗弃（某人） synonym abandon
- She was deserted by her husband.她被丈夫遗弃了。
- Don’t worry—I won’t desert you.别担心，我不会丢下你不管的。
Homophones desert | dessert
desert dessert
/dɪˈzɜːt/

/dɪˈzɜːrt/
- desert verb
  His companions desert him as he dies.他死后，他的同伴抛弃了他。
- dessert noun
  Summer pudding has long been a favourite English dessert.夏季布丁一直是最受欢迎的英国甜点。
[transitive, often passive] desert something to go away from a place and leave it empty舍弃，离弃（某地方） synonym abandon
- The villages had been deserted.这些村庄已经荒无人烟了。
- The owl seems to have deserted its nest.这只猫头鹰似乎不要这个窝了。
- He was accused of deserting his post.他被指控擅离职守。
[intransitive, transitive] to leave the armed forces without permission擅离（部队）；逃走；开小差
- Large numbers of soldiers deserted as defeat became inevitable.战败已成定局，许多士兵开小差跑了。
- desert something The soldiers had deserted the US army to fight for Mexico. 士兵们逃离了美国军队去为墨西哥而战。
Topics War and conflictb2
[transitive] to leave an organization or stop doing an activity, especially in a way that is considered bad and disloyal废弃；放弃；撇下不管
- desert something Millions of voters are deserting the party.数百万选民正在脱离该党。
- desert something for something Why did you desert teaching for politics?你为什么弃教从政呢？
[transitive] desert somebody if a particular quality deserts you, it is not there when you need it背离；使失望
- Her courage seemed to desert her for a moment.她一时间似乎失去了勇气。

词源verb late Middle English: from Old French deserter, from late Latin desertare, from Latin desertus ‘left waste’ from deserere ‘leave, forsake’.

Idioms

(like rats) deserting/leaving a sinking ship

(humorous, disapproving) used to talk about people who leave an organization, a company, etc. that is having difficulties, without caring about the people who are left（比喻只顾自己而离开处于困境中的机构等）（像）逃离沉船（的老鼠）