Oahu

American  

[oh-ah-hoo] / oʊˈɑ hu /

Or O'ahu

noun

1. an island in central Hawaii: third largest and most important island of the state; location of Honolulu. 589 sq. mi. (1,525 sq. km).

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Oahu British  

/ əʊˈɑːhuː /

noun

1. an island in central Hawaii: the third largest of the Hawaiian Islands. Chief town: Honolulu. Pop: 876 151 (2000). Area: 1574 sq km (608 sq miles)

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Example Sentences

On Sunday morning local time, officials began to stand down some evacuation and flash flood warnings on Oahu, but other parts of the state remained under threat.

From BBC • Mar. 22, 2026

As floodwaters begin to recede on Oahu, residents are returning home to assess the damage and, in many cases, what’s been lost.

From Salon • Mar. 22, 2026

The northern part of Oahu received 8 to 11 inches of rain Thursday into Friday, Parker said.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 20, 2026

Otto devised a system to send signals from his window to Japanese submarines that lay in wait off the coast of Oahu.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 4, 2025

After the arrival of Europeans, the Big Island’s King Kamehameha I rapidly proceeded with the consolidation of the largest islands by purchasing European guns and ships to invade and conquer first Maui and then Oahu.

From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond