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desert (n.1)
13世纪 ,"荒地、荒野、不毛之地",有无树木,来自古法语 desert ( 12世纪)"沙漠、荒野、荒地;毁灭、废墟",直接来自晚期拉丁语 desertum (意大利语 diserto ,古普罗旺斯语 dezert ,西班牙语 desierto ),字面意思是"被遗弃的东西"(在武加特语中用于翻译"荒野"),名词使用拉丁语 deserere "forsake"的中性过去分词(见 desert (v.))。
"无水、无树的相当范围的地区"的意义在中古英语中,逐渐成为主要意思。古典拉丁语用 deserta , desertus 的复数表示这个意思。18世纪常见的拼写是 desart ,这是不对称的,但它避免了与该词的其他两种意义相混淆。
Every important worker will report what life there is in him. It makes no odds into what seeming deserts the poet is born. Though all his neighbors pronounce it a Sahara, it will be a paradise to him; for the desert which we see is the result of the barrenness of our experience. [Thoreau, Journal, May 6, 1854]
desert (adj.)
13世纪中叶,"荒芜的、未开垦的、浪费的、贫瘠的、非生产性的",来自古法语 desert 和拉丁语 desertum (见 desert (n.1))。意思是"与沙漠有关或属于沙漠",来自1630年代。 Desert island ,无人居住的,来自17世纪。
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Definitions of desert from WordNet
Dictionary entries near desert
desecrate
desecration
desegregate
desegregation
desensitize
desert
deserter
desertification
desertion
deserve
deserved