desert boot
1
3.4
- noun
- /ˈdɛzərt buːt/
:
bota desértica
- The soldiers were issued desert boots designed to withstand the harsh conditions of the sandy terrain.
- suede desert boots
- wearing desert boots
- tan desert boots
I wore my, my boots, the tan desert boots because we're going to go in, in desert DCS.
- I wore my, my boots, the tan desert boots because we're going to go in, in desert DCS.
Examples
-
I noticed that a car was following me, inching along behind me as my desert boots padded on the sidewalk.
Fiction book (1996) -
Wears a beige zip-up windbreaker, khakis, and brown desert boots. Walter Byrd has a bulky hearing aid in one ear.
Fiction book (2002) -
"Oh, God," he said, dancing on them in his heavy desert boots.
Fiction book (1990) -
I wear my Corcoran issue desert boots for yard work.
Blog text (32) -
Tommy arrives in desert boots and a smock.
Blog text (26) -
Your desert boots are fitted slip-fashion at the ankles.
-
First, I wore the old-style black combats; most recently, I have a pair of brown desert boots.
Blog text (33) -
Otherwise, Martin was dressed like the eight SAS men waiting: desert boots, loose trousers of tough canvas, shirt, sweater, and desert-camouflage combat jacket.
Fiction book (1994) -
Jeff pushed off his desert boots and sat with stockinged toes curling over sturdy yellow wool fibers.
Fiction book (1998) -
Tall and handsome, looking relaxed in jeans, desert boots, and a dark shirt with rolled-up sleeves, Hampson counseled patience.
Blog text (22)
Synonyms
574
1.0
A strong shoe that covers the foot and lower leg
2
2.5
A boot that reaches to or just above the ankle
How Casual
Surface Forms
Morphology
The compound is directly compositional: 'desert' (dry region) + 'boot' (footwear) yields a type of boot meant for desert conditions, so a learner who knows both words can infer it denotes footwear designed for deserts. Specific features (lightweight, suede, crepe sole) are extra lexical details but do not prevent an average B1 learner from understanding the basic meaning.
Etymology
Desert boot comes from the simple boots soldiers wore in hot, sandy deserts during World War II, made of soft suede and a crepe sole to walk on sand. That's why desert + boot now means a 'light ankle boot' that is comfortable and good for dry, sandy places.