An uninhabited island, especially one in the tropics. / (attributive) Designating something that a person considers indispensable and would always want to have available.

(idiomatic) A punishment or reward that is considered to be what the recipient deserved.

A populated region where food, especially healthy food, is difficult to obtain.

A gerbil (subfamily Gerbillinae) of the deserts of Africa and Asia / A kangaroo rat (genus Dipodomys) from North America / A Natal multimammate mouse (Mastomys natalensis) from Africa

plural of desert soil

A soil variety typically found in arid climates, usually with little leaching and minimal humus content. Referred to as an "aridisol" in the nomenclature of the United States Department of Agriculture's Natural Resources Conservation Service.

plural of desert tea

(anthropology, archaeology) A funnel trap constructed of stone and found in Middle Eastern deserts, intended to trap migrating game animals.

plural of desert kite

Lycium andersonii, a thorny shrub of the nightshade family with edible fruit, native to southwestern North America.