Lesson 54 Vocabulary
English word English Definition English Example sentence
1 a sand dune a hill made of very fine sand In the Sahara Desert, sand dunes stretch from horizon to horizon.
2 a dune buggy a small car with big wheels used for driving on sand The dune buggy sped up the sand dune and down the other side.
3 to be sandy of a place or thing, to be covered in sand The beaches in California are sandy, but in Oregon they are rocky.
4 a sandstorm a storm featuring wind and sand The sandstorm made it impossible to see.
5 an oasis a small area in a desert in which water can be found Lost in the desert for many days, the man finally found an oasis and his life was saved.
6 a mirage an image that looks like shining water, but is not real The heat caused a mirage in the distance.
7 salt flats areas of sand which have no hills or changes in elevation In the middle of the sand flats, you can see for many kilometers in every direction.
8 to be nomadic to move from place to place Many desert-dwelling people are nomadic; they move around a lot in search of water and food.
9 to be dehydrated to have not enough water in your body I was dehydrated after running the marathon, so I drank some juice.
10 to collapse from dehydration to fall down and become sick due to lack of water After spending all day working in the sun, he collapsed from dehydration.
11 vegetation the general word for all plant life The desert doesn't have much vegetation, because it is so dry.
12 to be fertile of land, to be good for growing food Deserts are not fertile, except for the areas directly next to rivers.
13 to be nocturnal of an animal, to be active at night Many desert creatures are nocturnal, simply because it is too hot during the day to hunt or move around.
14 biodiversity the measure of how various the living things are in a certain area The rainforests have a lot of biodiversity, but the deserts don't, really.
15 to be dusty of a place or thing, to be covered in fine sand or other particles The furniture in the abandoned house was so dusty.
16 to be empty of a place or thing, to have nothing inside of it I tried to take a drink, but my water bottle was empty.
17 to be uninviting of a place, to be harsh or hostile or feature bad conditions Deserts are so uninviting; there is no water or shade, and the heat is extreme.
18 to be desolate of a place, to feature no plant or animal life The surface of the glacier was desolate; just ice and snow for miles and miles.
19 to be barren of a place, to be flat and boring and lifeless The area around the volcano was barren, as it was too hot for plant life.
20 a valley an area between two mountains or hills Wide valleys are a nice place to live, because they usually have a river or stream and good land.
21 badlands the general word for any area which is dangerous or harsh The badlands of North Dakota are so cold and lifeless.