oasis
English
Etymology
From Late Latin Oasis, from Ancient Greek Ὄασις (Óasis), from Demotic wḥj, from Egyptian wḥꜣt (“oasis, cauldron”),
Compare Sahidic Coptic ⲟⲩⲁϩⲉ (ouahe) and Arabic وَاحَة (wāḥa).
Pronunciation
Noun
oasis (plural oases or oasises)
- A spring of fresh water, surrounded by a fertile region of vegetation, in a desert.
- 1892, James Yoxall, chapter 7, in The Lonely Pyramid:
- It was the Lost Oasis, the Oasis of the vision in the sand. […] Deep-hidden in the hollow, beneath the cliffs, it lay; and round it the happy verdure spread for many a rood. […] Yes, the quest was ended, the Lost Oasis was the Found!
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- A quiet, peaceful place or situation separated from surrounding noise or bustle.
- The park was an oasis in the middle of the busy city.
Usage notes
The plural oasises is rare and sometimes proscribed.
Translations
well surrounded by fertile region
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quiet or peaceful place
French
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /ɔ.a.zis/
Audio (file)
Further reading
- “oasis” in le Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).
Galician
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /ɔ.ˈa.sis/
Audio (file)
Spanish
Etymology
From Late Latin Oasis, from Ancient Greek Ὄασις (Óasis), from Demotic wḥj, from Egyptian wḥꜣt (“oasis, cauldron”),
.
Pronunciation
- IPA(key): /oˈasis/
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