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oasis

 - 5 dictionary results

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; < LL < Gk óasis (Herodotus) < Egyptian wḥʾt oasis, oasis region


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


2. haven, harbor, retreat, shelter.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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o·a·sis   (ō-ā'sĭs)   
n.   pl. o·a·ses (-sēz)
  1. A fertile or green spot in a desert or wasteland, made so by the presence of water.

  2. A situation or place preserved from surrounding unpleasantness; a refuge: an oasis of serenity amid chaos.


[From Late Latin Oasis, an oasis in the Libyan desert, from Greek, from Coptic ouahe, from Egyptian wḥ't.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Slang Dictionary
oasis [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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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, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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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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