Dictionary

oasis en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• /oʊˈeɪsɪs/ (US)
• (US) audio
• /oʊˈeɪsəs/ (US)
• /əʊˈeɪsəs/ (UK)
• ō-ā'sĭs (US)
• ō-ā'səs (US)
• /əʊˈeɪsɪs/ (UK)

Etymology

From Late Latin Oasis, from Ancient Greek Ὄασις (Óasis), from Demotic Egyptian wḥj, from Egyptian wḥꜣt (“oasis, cauldron”), G43-V28-G1-X1:N25 Compare Sahidic Coptic ⲟⲩⲁϩⲉ (ouahe) and Arabic وَاحَة (wāḥa).

Meanings

1. A spring of fresh water, surrounded by a fertile region of vegetation, in a desert.
   • It was now a beautiful, moonlit night. The air was crisp and invigorating. Behind them lay the interminable vista of the desert, dotted here and there with an occasional oasis. 1913 June–December, Edgar Rice Burroughs, “Through the Valley of the Shadow”, in The Return of Tarzan, New York, N.Y.: A[lbert] L[evi] Burt Company, […], published March 1915, →OCLC, page 137:
   • It was the Lost Oasis, the Oasis of the vision in the sand. […] Deep-hidden in the hollow, beneath the cliffs, it lay; and round it the happy verdure spread for many a rood. […] Yes, the quest was ended, the Lost Oasis was the Found! 1892, James Yoxall, chapter 7, in The Lonely Pyramid:
   • On the edge of the dunes lies the oasis town of Dunhuang, a key strategic crossroads on the Silk Road as the routes divided to the west to skirt the Taklamakan to the north and south. 2015, Michael Welland, “Barriers and Corridors, Imports and Exports”, in The Desert: Lands of Lost Borders, Reaktion Books, →ISBN, →OCLC, page 317:
2. (figuratively) A quiet, peaceful place or situation separated from surrounding noise or bustle.
   • The park was an oasis in the middle of the busy city.
3. (figuratively) A place or situation of fruitfulness or abundance separated from surrounding barrenness or scarcity.
   • [T]here is no true American music but the wild sweet melodies of the Negro slave; the American fairy tales and folklore are Indian and African; and, all in all, we black men seem the sole oasis of simple faith and reverence in a dusty desert of dollars and smartness. 1903 April 18, W[illiam] E[dward] Burghardt Du Bois, “Of Our Spiritual Strivings”, in The Souls of Black Folk: Essays and Sketches, Chicago, Ill.: A[lexander] C[aldwell] McClurg & Co., →OCLC, pages 11–12:
   • I have tried to find friends like me […] but have failed to form even one prolonged relationship. Only a few of them could understand how I felt and a couple of them allowed me to express my love as intimately and vigorously as I wanted to. But for these two oases, I have lived all these years in an emotional void. 1980 August 9, anonymous author, “Inside Burning”, in Gay Community News, page 4:

Forms

Deriveds

oasification · Oasisamerica · food oasis · Kharga Oasis · oasislike · highway oasis · oasisless

Relateds

oasal · oasitic

Synonyms

refuge · island

Translations (124)

az vahə (spring surrounded by fertile area) · id wahah (spring surrounded by fertile area) · lt oazė (spring surrounded by fertile area) · tk waha (spring surrounded by fertile area) · mi puna manawa (spring surrounded by fertile area) · bg оа́зис (spring surrounded by fertile area) · sk oáza (spring surrounded by fertile area) · pl oaza (spring surrounded by fertile area) · lmo oasi (spring surrounded by fertile area) · hi ओएसिस (spring surrounded by fertile area) · ms wahah (spring surrounded by fertile area) · is vin (spring surrounded by fertile area) · fa واحِه (spring surrounded by fertile area) · sl oaza (spring surrounded by fertile area) · ka ოაზისი (spring surrounded by fertile area) · gl oasis (spring surrounded by fertile area) · ko 천지 (spring surrounded by fertile area) · mn ᠪᠠᠶᠠᠨ ᠪᠦᠷᠢᠳᠦ (spring surrounded by fertile area) · ca oasi (spring surrounded by fertile area) · sv oas (spring surrounded by fertile area) · uz oazis (spring surrounded by fertile area) · nan-hbl 綠洲 /绿洲 (spring surrounded by fertile area) · es oasis (quiet or peaceful place) · io oaziso (spring surrounded by fertile area) · be аа́зіс (spring surrounded by fertile area) · grc ὄασις (spring surrounded by fertile area) · he נווה (spring surrounded by fertile area) · ota واحه (spring surrounded by fertile area) · hi नख़लिस्तान (spring surrounded by fertile area) · hu oázis (quiet or peaceful place) · uk оа́зис (quiet or peaceful place) · pt oásis (quiet or peaceful place) · sh oáza (spring surrounded by fertile area) · el όαση (quiet or peaceful place) · bn মরুদ্যান (spring surrounded by fertile area) · yi אָאַזיס (spring surrounded by fertile area) · ar وَاحَة (spring surrounded by fertile area) · cs oáza (quiet or peaceful place) · tr vaha (spring surrounded by fertile area) · mn ᠨᠣᠭᠤᠭᠠᠨ ᠪᠦᠷᠢᠳᠦ (spring surrounded by fertile area) · uk оа́зис (spring surrounded by fertile area) · nl oase (spring surrounded by fertile area) · tl oasis (spring surrounded by fertile area) · xal оазис (spring surrounded by fertile area) · ps واحه (spring surrounded by fertile area) · sq oazë (spring surrounded by fertile area) · ast oasis (spring surrounded by fertile area) · pms òasi (spring surrounded by fertile area) · ky оазис (spring surrounded by fertile area) · mi punamanawa (spring surrounded by fertile area) · ug بوستانلىق (spring surrounded by fertile area) · arz واح (spring surrounded by fertile area) · uk оа́з (spring surrounded by fertile area) · da oase (spring surrounded by fertile area) · ca oasi (quiet or peaceful place) · mk оа́за (quiet or peaceful place) · ru оа́зис (spring surrounded by fertile area) · pt oásis (spring surrounded by fertile area) · mn баян бүрд (spring surrounded by fertile area) · as মৰুদ্যান (spring surrounded by fertile area) · ar غُوطَة (spring surrounded by fertile area) · tl owasis (spring surrounded by fertile area) · fo grøna (spring surrounded by fertile area) · it oasi (spring surrounded by fertile area) · nb oase (quiet or peaceful place) · eo oazo (quiet or peaceful place) · fr oasis (spring surrounded by fertile area) · cop ⲟⲩⲁϩⲉ (spring surrounded by fertile area) · eo oazo (spring surrounded by fertile area) · ug ۋاھە (spring surrounded by fertile area) · tk oazis (spring surrounded by fertile area) · ko 오아시스 (spring surrounded by fertile area) · mn ногоон бүрд (spring surrounded by fertile area) · lv oāze (spring surrounded by fertile area) · he אוֹאָזִיס (spring surrounded by fertile area) · km អូអេស៊ីស (spring surrounded by fertile area) · id oase (spring surrounded by fertile area) · cy gwerddon (spring surrounded by fertile area) · id oasis (spring surrounded by fertile area) · hy օազիս (spring surrounded by fertile area) · fi keidas (quiet or peaceful place) · tr cennet (quiet or peaceful place) · th โอเอซิส (spring surrounded by fertile area) · ja オアシス (spring surrounded by fertile area) · ro oază (spring surrounded by fertile area) · bg оа́зис (quiet or peaceful place) · fa آبادی (spring surrounded by fertile area) · tg воҳа (spring surrounded by fertile area) · tzm ⴰⵎⴷⴰ (spring surrounded by fertile area) · nb oase (spring surrounded by fertile area) · yi אָאַזע (spring surrounded by fertile area) · tt ваһа (spring surrounded by fertile area) · ur نَخْلِسْتان (spring surrounded by fertile area) · eu oasi (spring surrounded by fertile area) · fi keidas (spring surrounded by fertile area) · ka ოაზისი (quiet or peaceful place) · es oasis (spring surrounded by fertile area) · cs oáza (spring surrounded by fertile area) · uz voha (spring surrounded by fertile area) · ru оа́зис (quiet or peaceful place) · sh оа́за (spring surrounded by fertile area) · be аа́зіс (quiet or peaceful place) · vo loasid (spring surrounded by fertile area) · ug يېشىلزارلىق (spring surrounded by fertile area) · el όαση (spring surrounded by fertile area) · mk оа́за (spring surrounded by fertile area) · uk оа́за (spring surrounded by fertile area) · my အိုအေစစ် (spring surrounded by fertile area) · kk шұрат (spring surrounded by fertile area) · hi मरूद्यान (spring surrounded by fertile area) · kmr wahe (spring surrounded by fertile area) · hy ովասիս (spring surrounded by fertile area) · cmn 綠洲 /绿洲 (spring surrounded by fertile area) · ga ósais (spring surrounded by fertile area) · pl oaza (quiet or peaceful place) · hi शाद्वल (spring surrounded by fertile area) · tt оазис (spring surrounded by fertile area) · et oaas (spring surrounded by fertile area) · yue 綠洲 /绿洲 (spring surrounded by fertile area) · gl oasis (quiet or peaceful place) · de Oase (quiet or peaceful place) · hu oázis (spring surrounded by fertile area) · de Oase (spring surrounded by fertile area) · vi ốc đảo (spring surrounded by fertile area)