xerotes
- noun
:
sequedad
- The xerotes of the desert air made dehydration a constant threat for explorers.
Examples
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She noticed the xerotes of the soil after weeks without rain.
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Botanists study how plants survive under extreme xerotes.
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The xerotes in the desert can be extreme.
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In summer, the xerotes increases significantly.
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She noticed the xerotes of the soil after weeks without rain.
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The xerotes of the desert air made dehydration a constant threat for explorers.
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In summer, the xerotes increases significantly.
Synonyms
8
1.0
Lack of water or wetness in something
The lack of water in a place
Antonyms
How Dry
Surface Forms
Morphology
xerotes = dry (semi-transparent) = xero + otes
The semantic base corresponds to 'dry', so a learner who recognises that meaning could infer 'xerotes', but the combining form 'xero-' and the suffix '-otes' are nonproductive and unfamiliar in English.
Etymology
The word xerotes comes from an old Greek word xērós and the common part xero-, both meaning 'dry'. A helpful image is dry soil or desert air that has no water. So xerotes means the state of being 'dry', especially the lack of water.