English Explanatory Dictionary

oar

English dictionary entry

Meanings

noun
  1. A type of lever used to propel a boat, having a flat blade at one end and a handle at the other, and pivoted in a rowlock atop the gunwale, whereby a rower seated in the boat and pulling the handle can pass the blade through the water by repeated strokes against the water's resistance, thus moving the boat.
  2. An oarsman; a rower.
  3. An oar-like swimming organ of various invertebrates.
verb
  1. To row; to travel with, or as if with, oars.
noun
  1. Initialism of original aspect ratio.

Pronunciation

/ɔː/ ôr /oɹ/ en-us-oar.ogg /oə/ ōr /o(ː)ɹ/

Word forms

oar oars oaring oared

Etymology

From Middle English ore (“oar”), from Old English ār, from Proto-West Germanic *airu, from Proto-Germanic *airō (“oar”). Cognate with Old Norse ár.

Synonyms

paddle

Derived words

eight-oar laboring oar labouring oar oarage oar blade oarfish oarhole oar-hole oar in someone's boat oarless oarlike oarlock oarswoman oarweed oary pair-oar pull an oar put in an oar put in one's oar put one's oar in spoon oar stick one's oar in easy-oar
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