Chapter Description to Design of D by Webster's Dictionary (1913 Edition)

Desert flora

(Bot.), the assemblage of plants growing naturally in a desert, or in a dry and apparently unproductive place. — Desert hare (Zoöl.), a small hare (Lepus sylvaticus, var. Arizonæ) inhabiting the deserts of the Western United States. — Desert mouse (Zoöl.), an American mouse living in the Western deserts.

Desert
(De*sert") v. t. [imp. & p. p. Deserted; p. pr. & vb. n. Deserting.] [Cf. L. desertus, p. p. of deserere to desert, F. déserter. See 2d Desert.]

1. To leave (especially something which one should stay by and support); to leave in the lurch; to abandon; to forsake; — implying blame, except sometimes when used of localities; as, to desert a friend, a principle, a cause, one's country. "The deserted fortress." Prescott.

2. (Mil.) To abandon (the service) without leave; to forsake in violation of duty; to abscond from; as, to desert the army; to desert one's colors.

Desert
(De*sert"), v. i. To abandon a service without leave; to quit military service without permission, before the expiration of one's term; to abscond.

The soldiers . . . deserted in numbers.

Bancroft.

Syn. — To abandon; forsake; leave; relinquish; renounce; quit; depart from; abdicate. See Abandon.

Deserter
(De*sert"er) (de*zert"er), n. One who forsakes a duty, a cause or a party, a friend, or any one to whom he owes service; especially, a soldier or a seaman who abandons the service without leave; one guilty of desertion.

Desertful
(De*sert"ful) a. Meritorious. [R.] Beau. & Fl.

Desertion
(De*ser"tion) n. [L. desertio: cf. F. désertion.]

1. The act of deserting or forsaking; abandonment of a service, a cause, a party, a friend, or any post of duty; the quitting of one's duties willfully and without right; esp., an absconding from military or naval service.

Such a resignation would have seemed to his superior a desertion or a reproach.

Bancroft.

2. The state of being forsaken; desolation; as, the king in his desertion.

3. Abandonment by God; spiritual despondency.

The spiritual agonies of a soul under desertion.

South.

Desertless
(De*sert"less) a. Without desert. [R.]

Desertlessly
(De*sert"less*ly), adv. Undeservedly. [R.] Beau. & Fl.

Desertness
(Des"ert*ness) n. A deserted condition. [R.] "The desertness of the country." Udall.

Desertrix
(De*sert"rix De*sert"rice) n. [L. desertrix.] A feminine deserter. Milton.

Deserve
(De*serve") v. t. [imp. & p. p. Deserved ; p. pr. & vb. n. Deserving.] [OF. deservir, desservir, to merit, L. deservire to serve zealously, be devoted to; de- + servire to serve. See Serve.]