oar

[awr, ohr] /ɔr, oʊr/
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.
3.
a person who rows; oarsman.
verb (used with object)
4.
to propel with or as if with oars; row.
5.
to traverse or make (one's way) by, or as if by, rowing.
verb (used without object)
6.
to row.
7.
to move or advance as if by rowing.
Idioms
8.
put in one's oar, to meddle; interfere:
He put in his oar and was told to mind his own business.
9.
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
before 900; Middle English ore, Old English ār; cognate with Old Norse ār
Related forms
oarless, adjective
oarlike, adjective
Can be confused
oar, o'er, or, ore.
Examples from the web for oar
  • A sculling oar is shorter and has a smaller blade area than the equivalent sweep oar.
  • For example, a whip is used to indicate a horse and an oar symbolizes a boat.
  • Row boats or dinghies are oar powered, and generally restricted to protected waters.
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
3.
put one's oar in, to interfere or interrupt
verb
4.
to row or propel with or as if with oars: the two men were oaring their way across the lake
Derived Forms
oarless, adjective
oarlike, adjective
Word Origin
Old English ār, of Germanic origin; related to Old Norse ār
Word Origin and History for oar
n.

Old English ar "oar," from Proto-Germanic *airo (cf. Old Norse ar, Danish aare, Swedish åra), of unknown origin; perhaps related to Latin remus "oar," Greek eretes "rower," eretmos "oar."

Slang definitions & phrases for oar

oar

Related Terms

row with one oar


Related Abbreviations for oar

OAR

[National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Office of] Oceanic and Atmospheric Research
Idioms and Phrases with oar

oar

see: put one's oar in