aridity
Americannoun
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the state or quality of being extremely dry.
Many plant and animal adaptations to withstand the intense aridity of the desert are quite bizarre.
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the quality of lacking interest, liveliness, or imaginativeness; sterility.
His writing style is excellent, avoiding the technical aridity of most professional science publications.
Etymology
Origin of aridity
First recorded in 1590–1600; from Latin āriditāt-, stem of āriditās, equivalent to ārid(us) “dry” ( see arid ( def. )) + -itās -ity ( def. )
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Aridity and barrenness characterize both high and low grounds, and the date-palm is often the only representative of vegetable existence.
From The New Gresham Encyclopedia. Vol. 1 Part 2 Amiel to Atrauli by Various
Aridity has favoured the production of spines as a defence from external attack, sharp thorns are frequent, and asperities of various sorts predominate.
From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 2, Slice 7 "Arundel, Thomas" to "Athens" by Various
Aridity, how it comes on in the second state of prayer, xv.
From The Life of St. Teresa of Jesus by Teresa, of Avila, Saint
Aridity is a condition met and to be overcome upon every continent.
From Dry-Farming : a System of Agriculture for Countries under a Low Rainfall by Widtsoe, John Andreas
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
