de|seed /diː siː d/ (deseeds , deseeding , deseeded ) also de-seed VERB To deseed a fruit or vegetable means to remove all the seeds from it. [BRIT ] □ [V n] Halve and deseed the peppers.
de|seg|re|gate /diː se gr I ge I t/ (desegregates , desegregating , desegregated ) VERB To desegregate something such as a place, institution, or service means to officially stop keeping the people who use it in separate groups, especially groups that are defined by race. □ [V n] …efforts to desegregate sport. □ [V -ed] The school system itself is not totally desegregated. ● de|seg|re|ga|tion /diː se grəge I ʃ ə n/ N‑UNCOUNT □ Desegregation may be harder to enforce in rural areas.
de|sen|si|tize /diː se ns I ta I z/ (desensitizes , desensitizing , desensitized ) in BRIT, also use desensitise VERB To desensitize someone to things such as pain, anxiety, or other people's suffering, means to cause them to react less strongly to them. □ [V n + to ] …the language that is used to desensitize us to the terrible reality of war. [Also V n]
des|ert ◆◇◇ (deserts , deserting , deserted ) The noun is pronounced /de zə r t/. The verb is pronounced /d I zɜː r t/ and is hyphenated de|sert. 1 N‑VAR [oft in names] A desert is a large area of land, usually in a hot region, where there is almost no water, rain, trees, or plants. □ …the Sahara Desert. □ …the burning desert sun.
2 VERB If people or animals desert a place, they leave it and it becomes empty. □ [V n] Farmers are deserting their fields and coming here looking for jobs. ● de|sert|ed ADJ □ She led them into a deserted sidestreet.
3 VERB If someone deserts you, they go away and leave you, and no longer help or support you. □ [V n] Mrs Roding's husband deserted her years ago. ● de|ser|tion /d I zɜː r ʃ ə n/ (desertions ) N‑VAR □ …her father's desertion.
4 VERB If you desert something that you support, use, or are involved with, you stop supporting it, using it, or being involved with it. □ [V ] The paper's price rise will encourage readers to desert in even greater numbers. □ [V n] He was pained to see many youngsters deserting kibbutz life. □ [V n + for ] Discerning shoppers are deserting supermarkets for artisan bakers. ● de|ser|tion N‑VAR □ [+ of ] …a mass desertion of the Party by the electorate.
5 VERB If a quality or skill that you normally have deserts you, you suddenly find that you do not have it when you need it or want it. □ [V n] Even when he appeared to be depressed, a dry sense of humour never deserted him. □ [V n] She lost the next five games, and the set, as her confidence abruptly deserted her.
6 VERB If someone deserts , or deserts a job, especially a job in the armed forces, they leave that job without permission. □ [V ] He was a second-lieutenant in the army until he deserted. □ [V + from ] He deserted from army intelligence last month. ● de|ser|tion N‑VAR □ The high rate of desertion has added to the army's woes.
7 PHRASE If you say that someone has got their just deserts , you mean that they deserved the unpleasant things that have happened to them, because they did something bad. [FEELINGS ] □ At the end of the book, the bad guys get their just deserts.
de|sert|er /d I zɜː r tə r / (deserters ) N‑COUNT A deserter is someone who leaves their job in the armed forces without permission.
des|er|ti|fi|ca|tion /d I zɜː r t I f I ke I ʃ ə n/ N‑UNCOUNT Desertification is the process by which a piece of land becomes dry, empty, and unsuitable for growing trees or crops on. □ A third of Africa is under threat of desertification.
des|ert is|land /de zə r t a I lənd/ (desert islands ) N‑COUNT A desert island is a small tropical island, where nobody lives.
de|serve ◆◇◇ /d I zɜː r v/ (deserves , deserving , deserved )
1 VERB If you say that a person or thing deserves something, you mean that they should have it or receive it because of their actions or qualities. □ [V n] Government officials clearly deserve some of the blame as well. □ [V to-inf] These people deserve to make more than the minimum wage. □ [V n] I felt I deserved better than that. □ [V -ed] The Park Hotel has a well-deserved reputation.
2 PHRASE If you say that someone got what they deserved , you mean that they deserved the bad thing that happened to them, and you have no sympathy for them. [FEELINGS ] □ One of them said the two dead joy riders got what they deserved.
de|serv|ed|ly /d I zɜː r v I dli/ ADV [ADV with v, ADV adj/adv] You use deservedly to indicate that someone deserved what happened to them, especially when it was something good. □ He deservedly won the Player of the Year award.
de|serv|ing /d I zɜː r v I ŋ/
1 ADJ If you describe a person, organization, or cause as deserving , you mean that you think they should be helped. □ The money saved could be used for more deserving causes.
2 ADJ If someone is deserving of something, they have qualities or achievements which make it right that they should receive it. [FORMAL ] □ [+ of ] …artists deserving of public subsidy.
des|ic|ca|ted /de s I ke I t I d/
1 ADJ [usu ADJ n] Desiccated things have lost all the moisture that was in them. [FORMAL ] □ …desiccated flowers and leaves.
2 ADJ [ADJ n] Desiccated food has been dried in order to preserve it. □ …desiccated coconut.