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oar

[ ˈȯr]

oar

noun

[ˈȯr]

Definition of oar

(Entry 1 of 2)

1 : a long pole with a broad blade at one end used for propelling or steering a boat

2 : oarsman

oar

verb

oared; oaring; oars

Definition of oar (Entry 2 of 2)

intransitive verb

: to progress by or as if by using oars

transitive verb

: to propel with or as if with oars : row

Other Words from oar

Noun

oared \ ˈȯrd \ adjective

Synonyms & Antonyms for dainty

Synonyms: Verb

Synonyms: Noun

Recent Examples on the Web

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun
//The bar and furnishings are modern, with both communal and high-top tables, mixed metals and nostalgic artifacts, like buoys and oars.
— Jessica Yadegaran, The Mercury News, "First Look: Inside Berkeley Marina’s new boathouse-themed restaurant," 11 Sep. 2019
//Students were involved in the entire process, finishing two 24-foot-long boats fitted with 18 oars.
— Annika Hom, BostonGlobe.com, "Shipbuilding, pride, and zucchinis," 20 June 2019
//Crabs that burrow or swim, such as blue crabs, might have flattened, oar-like pairs of hind legs.
— National Geographic, "How did crabs evolve 'crabbiness'? It's complicated.," 24 Apr. 2019
//One interesting design element is the stairway railing, made from an oar, which gives the main living area a nautical feel to accompany those water views.
— Joan Morris, The Mercury News, "House tour: It’s always summer on this Sausalito houseboat," 31 Aug. 2019
//For 2019, four new veterans will man the oars: Carl Christensen, Luke Holton, John Fannin and Evan Stratton.
— al, "Veterans’ trans-Atlantic rowing team gets big send-off from Mobile," 28 Aug. 2019
//Demo mountain bikes on the indoor dirt trail, scale the climbing wall or even dip an oar or two into Lake Michigan!
— Web Behrens, chicagotribune.com, "15 things to do with the kids July 8-14," 7 July 2019
//Later, grab an oar for a rafting expedition down the Snake River.
— National Geographic, "National Parks Family Journey: Yellowstone and Grand Teton," 12 June 2019
//Her mother held it down with an oar while her father dispatched it with the swing of an ax.
— James Mcwilliams, Outside Online, "The Town That Lives with Rattlesnakes," 10 June 2019
Recent Examples on the Web: Verb
//Mute swans do put on bursts of speed by oaring with their huge webbed feet.
— National Geographic, "Swans Found to Windsurf Across Water," 19 Oct. 2016

First Known Use of oar

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

15th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

History and Etymology for oar

Noun

Middle English oore, ore, going back to Old English ār, going back to dialectal Germanic *airō (whence Old Norse ár "oar"), of uncertain origin

Note: The presumed etymon *airō is attested only in Scandinavian Germanic and Old English; it is apparently a loanword from Scandinavian into Finnic languages (North Saami áiru "oar," Finnish airo, Estonian aer). The Germanic word has been compared with Greek oíāx "handle of a rudder, tiller" oiḗïon "tiller, rudder," Homeric oíēkes "appurtenance on a yoke," Sanskrit īṣā́ "shaft, thill," Hittite hišša-, Czech oj, Slovene ojệ, ojệsa, all going back to Indo-European *h₂(o)iH-s- "pole, shaft" (with the meaning "rudder" apparently secondary in Greek). However, if *airō goes back to *aizō the expected Old Norse outcome would be *eir rather than ār; additionally, the sense shift from "shaft of a cart" to "oar" is not unobjectionable.