oar

[ awr, ohr ]
See synonyms for: oaroaredoaring on Thesaurus.com

noun
  1. a long shaft with a broad blade at one end, used as a lever for rowing or otherwise propelling or steering a boat.

  2. something resembling this or having a similar purpose.

  1. a person who rows; oarsman.

verb (used with object)
  1. to propel with or as if with oars; row.

  2. to traverse or make (one's way) by, or as if by, rowing.

verb (used without object)
  1. to row.

  2. to move or advance as if by rowing.

Idioms about oar

  1. put in one's oar, to meddle; interfere: He put in his oar and was told to mind his own business.

  2. rest on one's oars, to cease to make an effort; relax after exertion; stop working after success or completing a task: Once he became president, he was content to rest on his oars.

Origin of oar

1
before 900; Middle English ore,Old English ār; cognate with Old Norse ār

Other words from oar

  • oarless, adjective
  • oarlike, adjective

Words that may be confused with oar

Words Nearby oar

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use oar in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for oar

oar

/ (ɔː) /


noun
  1. a long shaft of wood for propelling a boat by rowing, having a broad blade that is dipped into and pulled against the water. Oars were also used for steering certain kinds of ancient sailing boats

  2. short for oarsman

  1. put one's oar in to interfere or interrupt

verb
  1. to row or propel with or as if with oars: the two men were oaring their way across the lake

Origin of oar

1
Old English ār, of Germanic origin; related to Old Norse ār

Derived forms of oar

  • oarless, adjective
  • oarlike, adjective

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

Other Idioms and Phrases with oar

oar

see put one's oar in.

The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.