Meaning & use
Oder
Last updated
Meanings
proper nounproper
A river of central Europe that rises in the Czech Republic and flows north through Poland and along part of the German border to the Baltic Sea.
Grammar: Always capitalized and normally used with the: the Oder flooded.
Patterns
- the Oder River
- along the Oder
The city of Wroclaw lies on the Oder.
Heavy rain in the mountains pushed the Oder over its banks in the summer of 1997.
Barges carry coal and grain down the Oder toward the sea.
proper nounproperfigurative
Short for the Oder-Neisse line, the boundary between Germany and Poland set after the Second World War.
Grammar: Usually appears in the phrase the Oder-Neisse line, or just the Oder in history writing.
Patterns
- east of the Oder
After 1945 the lands east of the Oder passed to Poland.
Historians still debate how the Oder frontier was agreed.
Many families moved west of the Oder after the war.
Common combinations
- the Oder River
- The Oder River is about 850 kilometers long.
- the Oder-Neisse line
- The Oder-Neisse line became the recognized border in 1990.
- cross the Oder
- Soviet forces crossed the Oder in early 1945.
- Oder floods
- The Oder floods of 1997 forced thousands to leave their homes.
- Oder estuary
- Birdwatchers visit the Oder estuary each spring.
Word family
- Oder-Neisse proper noun
- the border line formed by the Oder and its tributary the Neisse
- Odra proper noun
- the Polish and Czech name of the same river
Commonly confused: Oder or odor?
Oder vs odor
Odor (American spelling) is a smell and is pronounced differently from the river's name, even though the spelling looks similar.
Practice
Which phrase correctly describes where the Oder flows?
Choose one answer.
The Oder runs through Poland and forms part of the German-Polish border. The other regions are not on its course.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “Oder”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.