Great Indian Desert
- noun
:
Gran Desierto Indio
- The Great Indian Desert, also called the Thar Desert, spans parts of India and Pakistan.
Examples
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The Great Indian Desert is known for its stunning sand dunes and unique wildlife.
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Within this state is the city of Jaisalmer, located within the Great Indian Desert.
Academic text (1996) -
Travelers often visit the Great Indian Desert to experience its vast landscapes and cultural richness.
Synonyms
1
7.9
A large desert in northwestern India and eastern Pakistan with sand dunes
1
6.1
A large dry area of sand in northwest India and southeast Pakistan with little plant life
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning is directly built from the constituents: 'great' (very large) + 'Indian' (pertaining to India) + 'desert' (a dry region) yields 'a very large desert in/associated with India.' As a referential place name this is compositional and a B1 learner who knows the component words will readily infer it denotes a large desert in India even if they do not know the specific name (Thar Desert).
Etymology
The name Great Indian Desert grew from maps and travellers who wanted a clear picture of the Thar Desert: the word great shows its very large size, Indian points to where it is, and desert means dry land, so the name simply means 'a very large desert in India'.