dryland means land that is arid, but not so dry as to be a desert. Lexicurio rates it Sui generis — a strength score of 86 out of 100.
Etymology
From dry + land.
noun
- Land that is arid, but not so dry as to be a desert.“Semi-arid cropping systems in India, and to a greater extent in Indo-China and east Indonesia, use dryland or upland rice when possible during the wet season.”