Deserts and drylands

leave someone who needs or counts on you; leave in the lurch; "The mother deserted her children"

a ridge of sand created by the wind; found in deserts or near lakes and oceans

a shelter serving as a place of safety or sanctuary

Fine particles of stone, esp. of siliceous stone, but not reduced to dust; comminuted stone in the form of loose grains, which are not coherent…

lacking vitality or spirit; lifeless; "a technically perfect but arid performance of the sonata"; "a desiccate romance"; "a prissy and emotionle…

a shortage of rainfall; "farmers most affected by the drought hope that there may yet be sufficient rain early in the growing season"

any succulent plant of the family Cactaceae native chiefly to arid regions of the New World and usually having spines

cud-chewing mammal used as a draft or saddle animal in desert regions

an optical illusion in which atmospheric refraction by a layer of hot air distorts or inverts reflections of distant objects

applies to nonhuman mammals: a state or period of heightened sexual arousal and activity

fine powdery material such as dry earth or pollen that can be blown about in the air; "the furniture was covered with dust"

a relatively flat highland

a ravine formed by a river in an area with little rainfall

To rub hard; to wash with rubbing; usually, to rub with a wet brush, or with something coarse or rough, for the purpose of cleaning or brighteni…