desert
part of speech
noun (a desert, deserts) — said «DEZ-ert»; verb (desert, deserts, deserted, deserting) — said «di-ZURT»
meaning for a pupil
1) A desert (DEZ-ert) is a large area of land that gets very little rain, so few plants grow; it may be sandy, rocky, hot or cold. tree →
2) To desert (di-ZURT) someone or somewhere is to leave and not come back, when you should stay. tree →
3) A deserted place has nobody in it. tree →
sense in the lessons
In the Tanakh and Jewish tradition: In the Torah it means the wilderness, a dry and empty land where Israel traveled for forty years. Interpretation: Tradition sees the desert as the place where Israel received the Torah at Sinai and learned to trust God. Some teachers say the Torah was given there because the desert belongs to no one. In the primary lessons: In geography and science, deserts include the Sahara (hot, Africa), the Mojave (USA), the Great Victoria Desert (Australia) and Antarctica (the largest — a cold desert). Desert plants like cacti store water; animals like camels and lizards are adapted to heat and little water. In safety, deserts are hot by day and can be cold at night; carry water and sun protection. Phrases: «desert island», «deserted street».
examples
- And Balak took Balaam unto the top of Peor, that looketh down upon the desert. (Torah NUM.23.28, JPS 1917) tree →
- and from Bamoth to the valley that is in the field of Moab, by the top of Pisgah, which looketh down upon the desert. (Torah NUM.21.20, JPS 1917) tree →
- He found him in a desert land, and in the waste, a howling wilderness; He compassed him about, He cared for him, He kept him as the apple of His eye. (Torah DEU.32.10, JPS 1917) tree →
- But lusted exceedingly in the wilderness, and tried God in the desert. (Writings PSA.106.14, JPS 1917) tree →
- I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert. (Prophets ISA.43.19, JPS 1917) tree →
- They wandered in the wilderness in a desert way; they found no city of habitation. (Writings PSA.107.4, JPS 1917) tree →
- The Sahara is a huge hot desert. tree →
- Cacti grow in the desert. tree →
- Camels can go days without water in the desert. tree →
- Antarctica is a cold desert. tree →
- Take lots of water when you visit the desert. tree →
- The soldier deserted his post. tree →
- The beach was deserted in winter. tree →
- Imagine you are on a desert island. tree →
- Now the desert lies behind them. tree →
note
Trap: «desert» (one s, dry land) vs «dessert» (two s, the sweet course after dinner) — remember «dessert has two sugars». Deserts are not always hot or sandy; what makes a desert is very little rain.
In the corpora
- And Balak took Balaam unto the top of Peor, that looketh down upon the desert.
- The wilderness and the parched land shall be glad; and the desert shall rejoice, and blossom as the rose.
- I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert.
- Yet went they on still to sin against Him, to rebel against the Most High in the desert.
- How oft did they rebel against Him in the wilderness, and grieve Him in the desert!
Trees and pragmatics
Every meaning and example of «desert» parsed by Mova, each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.