arid
From Wiktionary, the free dictionary
Etymology
From French aride or directly from Latin āridus (“dry, arid, parched”),[1] compare its synonymous contracted form ardus. Originally from the verb āreo (“I am dry, I am parched”), akin to ārdeō (“I am on fire, I burn”).
Pronunciation
Adjective
arid (comparative arider or more arid, superlative aridest or most arid)
- Very dry.
- Describing a very dry climate. Typically defined as less than 25 cm or 10 inches of rainfall annually.
- Synonym: xeric
- Antonyms: rainforest, humid
- Hyponyms: semi-arid, semiarid
- Deserts are known for being arid.
- 2012, Chinle Miller, In Mesozoic Lands: The Mesozoic Geology of Arches and Canyonlands National Parks, Kindle edition:
- And because this part of Utah is arid, the geologic landscape is fully revealed with very little vegetation to hide it, faults and all.
- (figurative) Devoid of value.
- 1956, Arthur C. Clarke, The City and the Stars, page 37:
- Such occupations might have seemed arid to those who did not possess the intellect to appreciate their subtleties.
Derived terms
Related terms
Translations
very dry
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References
- “arid”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–2022.
Further reading
Anagrams
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