oars

Meanings

1. 1nounplural

   Long poles with flat blades at one end, used in pairs to push a boat through water by pulling them.

   Grammar: Plural form of oar; use a pair of oars or each oar.

   Patterns

   • pull on the oars
   • row with oars

   The children pulled hard on the oars and the boat moved slowly across the lake.

   He lifted the oars out of the water and let the boat drift.

   We forgot the oars, so we could not row.

2. 2nounpluralsport

   People who row, as in a crew, often counted by the number of oars.

   Grammar: Usually in phrases like a boat with eight oars.

   Patterns

   • a boat with eight oars

   The rowing team practiced with all eight oars in unison.

   Each of the oars in the crew must keep time.

   The race was won by the boat with the strongest oars.

Word forms

Common combinations

pull on the oars

They pulled on the oars as hard as they could.

ship the oars

He shipped the oars and the boat glided to the dock.

a pair of oars

The boat came with a pair of oars.

row with oars

They rowed with long oars.

dip the oars

She dipped the oars into the water.

Synonyms and how they differ

paddles

Paddles are held in the hands and are not fixed to the boat, unlike oars.

sweeps

Sweeps are very long oars used on large boats.

sculls

Sculls are short oars used in pairs by one rower.

blades

Blades often means just the flat ends of the oars.

Word family

oar noun

singular form

oarsman noun

a man who rows

oarlock noun

a fitting that holds an oar

row verb

to move a boat with oars

Commonly confused: oars or ores?

Practice

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