oars

American

[awrz, ohrz] / ɔrz, oʊrz /

interjection

Nautical.

(used as a command to the crew of a scull or other similar boat to cease rowing and hold the oars horizontal with blades feathered.)

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Egyptian and Japanese archeologists have been treating the boat's planks and oars using organic materials, including nano-cellulose and Klucel E, that Zidan said met international restoration standards.

From Barron's • Dec. 23, 2025

Umpire Matthew Pinsent stopped the race in the second minute after the Oxford boat drifted into Cambridge's path and their oars clashed.

From BBC • Apr. 13, 2025

Men and women plunged into the sea behind them, grabbing at the ships’ oars.

From Slate • Dec. 15, 2024

Unlike the prestigious Ivy League squads, the Huskies were mostly middle and working class landlubbers who’d only taken up oars to pay for school.

From New York Times • Dec. 24, 2023

Hazel watched as it snapped off half a dozen oars.

From "The House of Hades" by Rick Riordan

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023