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What is a oasis?
What is an oasis?

oasis

 [oh-ey-sis]   Origin

o·a·sis

   [oh-ey-sis]
noun, plural -ses  [-seez] .
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.
Origin:
1605–15; < Late Latin < Greek óasis (Herodotus) < Egyptian wḥʾt oasis, oasis region

Related forms
o·a·sit·ic  [oh-uh-sit-ik] , o·a·sal, o·a·se·an  [oh-ey-see-uhn] , adjective

Synonyms
2. haven, harbor, retreat, shelter.

Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
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Oasis is always a great word to know.
So is interrobang. Does it mean:
an extraordinary or unusual thing, person, or event; an exceptional example or instance.
a printed punctuation mark (‽), available only in some typefaces, designed to combine the question mark (?) and the exclamation point (!), indicating a mixture of query and interjection, as after a rhetorical question.
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Collins
World English Dictionary
oasis (əʊˈeɪsɪs)
 
—n , pl -ses
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
 
[C17: via Latin from Greek, probably of Egyptian origin]

Oasis (əʊˈeɪsɪs)
 
—n
trademark a block of light porous material, used as a base for flower arrangements

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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Etymonline
Word Origin & History

oasis
1613, from Fr., from L.L., from Gk. oasis, probably from Hamitic (cf. Coptic wahe, ouahe "dwelling place, oasis," from ouih "dwell"). The same Egyptian source produced Arabic wah.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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American Heritage
Science Dictionary
oasis   (ō-ā'sĭs)  Pronunciation Key 
Plural oases (ō-ā'sēz)
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.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2002. Published by Houghton Mifflin. All rights reserved.
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Slang Dictionary

oasis definition

[oˈesəs]
  1. n.
    a place to buy liquor. : Let's go into this oasis here and pick up a few bottles.
Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions by Richard A. Spears.Fourth Edition.
Copyright 2007. Published by McGraw Hill.
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American Heritage
Abbreviations & Acronyms
OASIS

  1. Obstetric Anesthesia Safety Improvement Study

  2. On-Line Asperger Syndrome Information and Support

The American Heritage® Abbreviations Dictionary, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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