semiarid

[ sem-ee-ar-id, sem-ahy- ]

/ ˌsɛm iˈær ɪd, ˌsɛm aɪ- /

Save This Word!

adjective (of a region, land, etc.)

characterized by very little annual rainfall, usually from 10 to 20 inches (25 to 50 centimeters): the struggle to raise vegetables in semiarid regions.

QUIZ

CAN YOU ANSWER THESE COMMON GRAMMAR DEBATES?

There are grammar debates that never die; and the ones highlighted in the questions in this quiz are sure to rile everyone up once again. Do you know how to answer the questions that cause some of the greatest grammar debates?

Question 1 of 7

Which sentence is correct?

His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of semiarid

An Americanism dating back to 1895–1900; semi- + arid

OTHER WORDS FROM semiarid

sem·i·a·rid·ity

[sem-ee-uh-rid-i-tee, sem-ahy-], /ˌsɛm i əˈrɪd ɪ ti, ˌsɛm aɪ-/, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use semiarid in a sentence

Here they are semi-touching at a grocery store; she likes kombucha.
All Your Internet Boyfriends Are Taken: Gosling, Cumberbatch, and now Joseph Gordon-Levitt|Melissa Leon|January 3, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Brinsley stepped up to the passenger side of the patrol car, raised a silver Taurus semi-automatic pistol and began firing.
'Please Don't Die!': The Frantic Battle to Save Murdered Cops|Michael Daly|December 22, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Tiger Lily and her tribe, however, were outfitted in semi-realistic outfits (read: nearly naked).
‘Peter Pan Live!’ Review: No Amount of Clapping Brings It to Life|Kevin Fallon|December 5, 2014|DAILY BEAST
For the next hour and half I was the willing sex slave of a semi-professional Master I had met through a friend.
Whip It: Secrets of a Dominatrix|Justin Jones|November 25, 2014|DAILY BEAST

After curing the elderly of their semi-suicidal depression, winning the White House must seem like a snap.
Ben Carson’s Bizarrely Serious, Seriously Bizarre Campaign Crew|Olivia Nuzzi|November 12, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Our troops have done all that flesh and blood can do against semi-permanent works, and they are not able to carry them.
Gallipoli Diary, Volume I|Ian Hamilton
Death, to do him justice, he had met with none of the cowardice he had vaunted, and consistently with his arid cynical soul.
Ancestors|Gertrude Atherton
The stop-keys will be seen arranged in an inclined semi-circle overhanging and just above the keyboards.
The Recent Revolution in Organ Building|George Laing Miller
There are four types: bituminous (soft), anthracite (hard), semi-bituminous and semi-anthracite.
Hallowed Heritage: The Life of Virginia|Dorothy M. Torpey
The broad river was left behind; they set their course toward the arid mountains of Libya.
Bella Donna|Robert Hichens

British Dictionary definitions for semiarid

semiarid

/ (ˌsɛmɪˈærɪd) /

adjective

characterized by scanty rainfall and scrubby vegetation, often occurring in continental interiorsthe semiarid regions of Australia

Derived forms of semiarid

semiaridity, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for semiarid

semiarid

[ sĕm′ē-ăr′ĭd ]

Having low precipitation but able to support grassland and scrubby vegetation. Steppes have semiarid climates.