semiarid

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

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.

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

Words Nearby semiarid

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

How to use semiarid in a sentence

By 2030, the project aims to plant 100 million hectares of trees along the Sahel, the semiarid zone lining the desert’s southern edge.
Africa’s ‘Great Green Wall’ could have far-reaching climate effects | Carolyn Gramling | January 3, 2022 | Science News
Later studies of pollen and plants preserved near Brontosaurus fossils have shown that the dino stomped through a semiarid landscape, no floaties needed.
50 years ago, scientists made the case for a landlubbing Brontosaurus | Bethany Brookshire | January 29, 2021 | Science News
Arid and extremely arid land are deserts, and semiarid grasslands generally are referred to as steppes.
Deserts | A. S. Walker
These animals are usually restricted to sandy soils in semiarid regions.
Speciation in the Kangaroo Rat, Dipodomys ordii | Henry W. Setzer
Irrigation problems in our semiarid regions are receiving careful and increased consideration.
Messages and Papers of William McKinley V.2. | William McKinley

But the action of wind is most strikingly effective in desert and semiarid regions.
Geology | William J. Miller
Because of its semiarid climate, the State has only 600 square miles of wooded area.
North Dakota | Various

British Dictionary definitions for semiarid

semiarid

/ (ˌsɛmɪˈærɪd) /

adjective

characterized by scanty rainfall and scrubby vegetation, often occurring in continental interiors: the 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.

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