Nouns

(n)desert2(usually plural) a person's deservingness of or entitlement to reward or punishment
(n)desert1arid land with little or no vegetation

Verbs

(v)abandon, forsake, desolate, desertleave someone who needs or counts on you; leave in the lurch“The mother deserted her children”
(v)defect, desertdesert (a cause, a country or an army), often in order to join the opposing cause, country, or army“If soldiers deserted Hitler's army, they were shot”
(v)desertleave behind“the students deserted the campus after the end of exam period”