deserter

Variant of desert

desert definition

de·sert (di zʉrt′)

transitive verb

  1. to forsake (someone or something that one ought not to leave); abandon
  2. to leave (one's post, military service, etc.) without permission
  3. to fail (someone) when most needed

Etymology: Fr déserter < LL desertare < desertus, pp. of L deserere, to desert, lit., to disjoin < de-, from + serere, to join < IE base *ser-, to join, place in a row > Gr eirein, to fasten in rows, L series

intransitive verb

to leave one's post, military duty, etc. without permission and with no intent to return, or, in war, in order to avoid hazardous duty

Related Forms:

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2005 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

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