oasis
Americannoun
plural
oasesnoun
-
a fertile patch in a desert occurring where the water table approaches or reaches the ground surface
-
a place of peace, safety, or happiness in the midst of trouble or difficulty
noun
plural
oasesUsage
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
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
For decades, the Arab states of the Persian Gulf sold themselves as an oasis of peace in a region prone to conflict, attracting wealthy expats, multinational corporations and investment.
Oleh's bakery is an oasis of order and warmth in the freezing, snow-covered ruins of an industrial area on the edge of Slovyansk.
From BBC
These days, transforming the asphalt landscape into a sandy oasis takes about a week, with almost 900 tonnes of sand – that's about six blue whales or 70 double-decker buses – trucked in.
From BBC
“Step outside to a private backyard oasis featuring a sparkling pool and upgraded decking, perfect for entertaining or relaxing Texas-style,” the listing notes.
From MarketWatch
The Bamboo Room, a smaller bar within the sprawling Chicago tiki oasis Three Dots and a Dash, attracts a regular crowd of devotees who love its rum flights and elevated takes on tiki classics.
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
