desert plant de·sertp·lant uncommon noun 1. plant adapted for life with a limited supply of water; compare hydrophyte and mesophyte Synonymsdesert plantxerophytexerophytic plantxerophilexerophilous plant Related words Broader terms vascular plant Narrower terms agave WordNet 2.1 (Princeton University). WordNet 2.1 Copyright Princeton University. All rights reserved.