Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
Great Arabian Desert

Great Arabian Desert

5.7
A very large dry area of sand that covers much of the Arabian Peninsula
  • proper noun
translation icon : Gran Desierto Arábigo
  • The Great Arabian Desert is one of the largest deserts in the world.

Examples

  • The Great Arabian Desert is one of the largest continuous bodies of sand in the world.

  • Satellite images reveal the striking beauty of the Great Arabian Desert.

  • Nomadic tribes have lived in the Great Arabian Desert for thousands of years.

  • Many nomadic tribes live in the Great Arabian Desert.

  • The Great Arabian Desert covers much of the Arabian Peninsula and is known for its vast sand dunes.

  • Mysterious patterns can be seen across the Great Arabian Desert when viewed from above.

  • Traveling through the Great Arabian Desert reveals an array of unique wildlife adapted to its harsh conditions.

Synonyms

Arabian Desert
vsGreat Arabian Desert
4.6

A very large dry area on the Arabian Peninsula with sand dunes and few plants

emphasizes its vast size and coverage across most of the peninsula

Surface Forms

Great Arabian Desert main

Morphology

great + Arabian + desert

The meaning 'a very large desert in Arabia' is directly and transparently derived from combining 'great' (very large) + 'Arabian' (pertaining to Arabia) + 'desert' (a dry, sparsely vegetated region). This adjectival + noun place-name is compositional and follows cross-linguistically common naming patterns, so a B1 learner who knows the constituents will readily understand it.

Etymology

The place name Great Arabian Desert simply describes a very large dry area in Arabia: great means 'very large', Arabian means 'from Arabia', and desert means 'dry land' where nomads and camels travel. So the name tells us it is a very large desert in Arabia.