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oasis

[ oh-ey-sis ]
/ oʊˈeɪ sɪs /
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noun, plural o·a·ses [oh-ey-seez]. /oʊˈeɪ siz/.
a small fertile or green area in a desert region, usually having a spring or well.
something serving as a refuge, relief, or pleasant change from what is usual, annoying, difficult, etc.: The library was an oasis of calm in the hectic city.
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Origin of oasis

1605–15; <Late Latin <Greek óasis (Herodotus) <Egyptian wḥʾt oasis, oasis region

OTHER WORDS FROM oasis

o·a·sit·ic [oh-uh-sit-ik], /ˌoʊ əˈsɪt ɪk/, o·a·sal, o·a·se·an [oh-ey-see-uhn], /oʊˈeɪ si ən/, adjective

Words nearby oasis

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use oasis in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for oasis (1 of 2)

oasis
/ (əʊˈeɪsɪs) /

noun plural -ses (-siːz)
a fertile patch in a desert occurring where the water table approaches or reaches the ground surface
a place of peace, safety, or happiness in the midst of trouble or difficulty

Word Origin for oasis

C17: via Latin from Greek, probably of Egyptian origin

British Dictionary definitions for oasis (2 of 2)

Oasis
/ (əʊˈeɪsɪs) /

noun
trademark a block of light porous material, used as a base for flower arrangements
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for oasis

oasis
[ ō-āsĭs ]

Plural oases (ō-āsēz)
A small area in a desert that has a supply of water and is able to support vegetation. An oasis forms when groundwater lies close enough to the surface to form a spring or to be reached by wells.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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