Oasis Meaning
/əʊˈeɪsɪs/Definition, CEFR level C1, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
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Definition
nounA spring of fresh water, surrounded by a fertile region of vegetation, in a desert.
nounA quiet, peaceful place or situation separated from surrounding noise or bustle.
Sentence Examples
Your gift was like discovery of an oasis in the midst of a desert.
We saw what looked like an oasis in the desert.
Synonyms & Antonyms
Synonyms:
Antonyms:
None
CEFR Practice Quiz
In the middle of the dry desert, a lush ____ provided shade and fresh water.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
This small park is a peaceful ____ in the middle of a busy and noisy city center.
Word Origin & History
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).
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"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:
"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:
"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:
"[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:
Explore More C1 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
In the middle of the dry desert, a lush ____ provided shade and fresh water.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
This small park is a peaceful ____ in the middle of a busy and noisy city center.