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Glite Dictionary
Chihuahuan Desert

Chihuahuan Desert

1 5.8
A large desert in northern Mexico and the southwestern United States
  • proper noun
  • /tʃɪˈwɑːən ˈdɛzərt/
translation icon : Desierto de Chihuahua
  • Photograph of our long-term research in the Chihuahuan Desert near Portal, Arizona, where we have been collecting data on precipitation, plants, and rodents since 1977.

Examples

  • Located mostly in Mexico, the Chihuahuan Desert intrudes quite a bit into New Mexico and somewhat into Arizona and Texas as well.

    Academic text (2004)

  • The Jornada is home to the 960-acre, topographically and biologically diverse Chihuahuan Desert Nature Park.

    Academic text (2004)

  • Located in the mining town of Naica in the middle of Northern Mexico's Chihuahuan Desert, the Cave of Crystals is situated deep underground and features one of the harshest environments on Earth.

    Blog text (13)

  • Photo (color): Chihuahuan Desert Nature Park director Stephanie Bestelmeyer and Jornada station superintendent Eddie Garcia work with elementary school children on a field trip at the Jornada Range.

    Academic text (2004)

  • The vast Chihuahuan Desert stretches across northern Mexico, showcasing a unique desert landscape.

  • As the sun sets, the colors of the Chihuahuan Desert transform into breathtaking hues of orange and purple.

  • Wildlife in the Chihuahuan Desert, such as roadrunners and rattlesnakes, has adapted to the harsh conditions.

Surface Forms

Chihuahuan Desert main

Morphology

Chihuahuan + desert

The name is a straightforward composition of the adjectival/demonymic modifier 'Chihuahuan' (relating to the region of Chihuahua) and the noun 'desert', so the meaning 'the desert associated with Chihuahua' is directly derivable from its parts. Although 'Chihuahuan' may be low-frequency, the modifier+noun place-naming pattern is common cross-linguistically, making the expression predictable for a learner who knows both constituents.

Etymology

Chihuahuan Desert: The name Chihuahuan Desert comes from the Mexican state and city called Chihuahua. One popular idea says Chihuahua comes from an old Native American word for a 'dry' or 'sandy place', so calling the region the Chihuahuan Desert links the name to the dry land it describes.