v. de·sert·ed, de·sert·ing, de·serts v.tr. 1. To leave empty or alone; abandon. 2. To withdraw from, especially in spite of a responsibility or duty; forsake: deserted her friend in a time of need. 3. To abandon (a military post, for example) in violation of orders or an oath. v.intr. To forsake one's duty or post, especially to be absent without leave from the armed forces with no intention of returning. [French déserter, from Late Latin dēsertāre, frequentative of Latin dēserere, to abandon : dē-, de- + serere, to join; see ser-2 in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.] de·serter n. |
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.