oasis

American  

[oh-ey-sis] / oʊˈeɪ sɪs /

noun

plural

oases

1. a small fertile or green area in a desert region, usually having a spring or well.

2. something serving as a refuge, relief, or pleasant change from what is usual, annoying, difficult, etc..

   The library was an oasis of calm in the hectic city.

   Synonyms:

   shelter, retreat, harbor, haven

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Oasis ¹ British  

/ əʊˈeɪsɪs /

noun

1. a block of light porous material, used as a base for flower arrangements

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oasis ² British  

/ əʊˈeɪsɪs /

noun

1. a fertile patch in a desert occurring where the water table approaches or reaches the ground surface

2. a place of peace, safety, or happiness in the midst of trouble or difficulty

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oasis Scientific  

/ ō-ā′sĭs /

plural

oases

1. A small area in a desert that has a supply of water and is able to support vegetation. An oasis forms when groundwater lies close enough to the surface to form a spring or to be reached by wells.

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Usage

Plural word for oasis The plural form of oasis is oases, pronounced [ oh-ey-seez ]. The plurals of several other singular words that end in -is are also formed in this way, including hypothesis/hypotheses, crisis/crises, and axis/axes. A similar change is made when pluralizing appendix as appendices. Irregular plurals that are formed like oases derive directly from their original pluralization in Latin and Greek.

Other Word Forms

• oasal adjective
• oasean adjective
• oasitic adjective

Etymology

Origin of oasis

First recorded in 1605–15; from Late Latin, from Greek óasis, from Egyptian wḥʾt “oasis region”

Example Sentences

It is also an oasis for the poachers and their "mist nets", so thin you can barely see them.

From BBC

First, he has transformed the 1.84-acre plot into a veritable oasis with the help of professional arborists who have planted a plethora of exotic trees throughout the front and back yards.

From MarketWatch

My friends and I have experienced the kind of contradictory adventure this route allows: playing in the snow in the same weekend we visited an oasis shaded by hulking palm trees.

From Los Angeles Times

Instead he took his daily exercise on a running machine in the tiny sports room, which "became – in my situation – a veritable oasis".

From BBC

Compared with classroom chaos, even LAX will seem like an oasis of tranquility.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• haven
• sanctuary