Definition of oar

What does the word oar mean?

• part of speech: noun

  Pole with blade used (usu. in even numbers) to propel boat by leverage, esp. one worked by single rower (cf. SWEEP) with both hands (cf. SCULL), or to steer (chained to the o., constrained to work hard& long, with allusion to galley-slaves; pair-o., four-o., &c., boat with two, four, &c., oo.; pulls a good o., is good oarsman; put in one\'s o., interfere; have an o. in every man\'s boat, be a meddler; rest on one\'s oo., cease work for a time); good, bad, young, practised, &c., oarsman; (fig.) wing, fin, arm used in swimming, &c.; oarsman, -woman, rower, whence oarsmanshii (3) n.; hence oarage (1) n. (poet.), (-)oared, oarless, oary (poet.), aa. (Vb) row (t. & i.; poet.; o. boat, water, air, one\'s way; o. one\'s arms or hands, move them as in swimming). [old English]