Standard Lemma guide

oar

noun · verb · 6 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • Received-Pronunciation: /ɔː/
  • General-American: ôr
  • General-American: /oɹ/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • /oə/ non-rhotic, without the horse–hoarse merger
  • ōr rhotic, without the horse–hoarse merger
  • /o(ː)ɹ/ rhotic, without the horse–hoarse merger
  • rhymes with -ɔː(ɹ)
  • homophone: ore
  • homophone: o'er
  • homophone: or (horse–hoarse merger)
  • homophone: aw
  • homophone: awe (non-rhotic, horse–hoarse merger)
  • CMU ARPABET: AO1 R Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

A type of lever used to propel a boat, having a flat blade at one end and a handle at the other, and pivoted in a rowlock atop the gunwale, whereby a rower seated in the boat and pulling the handle can pass the blade through the water by repeated strokes against the water's resistance, thus moving the boat.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: paddle

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

An oarsman; a rower.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • He is a good oar.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

An oar-like swimming organ of various invertebrates.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: biology, natural-sciences, zoology

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

Initialism of original aspect ratio.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: abbreviation, alt-of, initialism

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

verb

Meaning 5

To row; to travel with, or as if with, oars.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: literary

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

6

noun

Meaning 6

an implement used to propel or steer a boat

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: implement

Narrower terms: paddle, boat paddle, scull, sweep, sweep oar

History

Etymology

From Middle English ore (“oar”), from Old English ār, from Proto-West Germanic *airu, from Proto-Germanic *airō (“oar”). Cognate with Old Norse ár.

Across languages

Translations

168 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Abkhaz: ажәҩа (aẑwjwa) — implement used to row a boat
  • Afrikaans: riem — implement used to row a boat
  • Aklanon: bugsay — implement used to row a boat
  • Albanian: rrem — implement used to row a boat
  • Albanian: lugatë — implement used to row a boat
  • Albanian: lopatë — implement used to row a boat
  • Southern Altai: адалгы (adalgï) — implement used to row a boat
  • Southern Altai: кайык (kayïk) — implement used to row a boat
  • Southern Altai: эшки (eški) — implement used to row a boat
  • Arabic: مِجْذَاف (mijḏāf) — implement used to row a boat
  • Arabic: مِجْدَاف (mijdāf) — implement used to row a boat
  • Armenian: թիակ (tʻiak) — implement used to row a boat
  • Armenian: թի (tʻi) — implement used to row a boat
  • Assamese: বঠা (botha) — implement used to row a boat
  • Asturian: remu — implement used to row a boat
  • Azerbaijani: kürək — implement used to row a boat
  • Azerbaijani: avar — implement used to row a boat
  • Bashkir: ишкәк (işkək) — implement used to row a boat
  • Basque: arraun — implement used to row a boat
  • Belarusian: вясло́ (vjasló) — implement used to row a boat
  • Bengali: মাঝি (majhi) — implement used to row a boat
  • Bengali: বৈঠা (bōiṭha) — implement used to row a boat
  • Bulgarian: гребло́ (grebló) — implement used to row a boat
  • Bulgarian: весло́ (vesló) — implement used to row a boat
  • Burmese: တက် (tak) — implement used to row a boat
  • Buryat: һэлюур (heljuur) — implement used to row a boat
  • Catalan: rem — implement used to row a boat
  • Chamicuro: kolo'sheta — implement used to row a boat
  • Chechen: пийсак (piı̇sak) — implement used to row a boat
  • Chinese Cantonese: 槳 /桨 (zoeng2) — implement used to row a boat
  • Chinese Mandarin: 槳 /桨 (jiǎng) — implement used to row a boat
  • Chuvash: кӗсмен (kĕsmen) — implement used to row a boat
  • West Circassian: къошъобэщ (qwošwobɛś) — implement used to row a boat
  • Ngazidja Comorian: nkasi — implement used to row a boat
  • Cornish: rev — implement used to row a boat
  • Crimean Tatar: qayıq küregi — implement used to row a boat
  • Crimean Tatar: kürek — implement used to row a boat
  • Czech: veslo — implement used to row a boat
  • Czech: pádlo — implement used to row a boat
  • Danish: åre — implement used to row a boat
  • Dolgan: эрдии (erdii) — implement used to row a boat
  • Dutch: riem — implement used to row a boat
  • Dutch: roeiriem — implement used to row a boat
  • Erzya: миле (mile) — implement used to row a boat
  • Esperanto: remilo — implement used to row a boat
  • Estonian: aer — implement used to row a boat
  • Even: уливун (uliwun) — implement used to row a boat
  • Evenki: гэвун (gəwun) — implement used to row a boat
  • Evenki: уливун (uliwun) — implement used to row a boat
  • Faroese: ár — implement used to row a boat
  • Fijian: voce — implement used to row a boat
  • Finnish: airo — implement used to row a boat
  • French: rame — implement used to row a boat
  • French: aviron — implement used to row a boat
  • Friulian: rem — implement used to row a boat
  • Galician: remo — implement used to row a boat
  • Georgian: ნიჩაბი (ničabi) — implement used to row a boat
  • Georgian: ხოფი (xopi) — implement used to row a boat
  • German: Ruder — implement used to row a boat
  • Greek: κουπί (koupí) — implement used to row a boat
  • Ancient Greek: κώπη (kṓpē) — implement used to row a boat
  • Ancient Greek: ἐρετμόν (eretmón) — implement used to row a boat
  • Greenlandic: ipak — implement used to row a boat
  • Hawaiian: hoe — implement used to row a boat
  • Hebrew: מָשׁוֹט (mashót) — implement used to row a boat
  • Hindi: पतवार (patvār) — implement used to row a boat
  • Hindi: चप्पू (cappū) — implement used to row a boat
  • Hindi: डांड़ (ḍā̃ṛ) — implement used to row a boat
  • Hindi: खेवनी (khevnī) — implement used to row a boat
  • Hindi: अरित्र (aritra) — implement used to row a boat
  • Hindi: डाँड़ (ḍā̃ṛ) — implement used to row a boat
  • Hindi: क्षेपणी (kṣepṇī) — implement used to row a boat
  • Hindi: बल्ली (ballī) — implement used to row a boat
  • Hungarian: evező — implement used to row a boat
  • Hungarian: evezőlapát — implement used to row a boat
  • Icelandic: ár — implement used to row a boat
  • Indonesian: dayung — implement used to row a boat
  • Ingrian: airo — implement used to row a boat
  • Irish: rámh — implement used to row a boat
  • Istriot: rimo — implement used to row a boat
  • Italian: remo — implement used to row a boat
  • Japanese: 櫂 (kai) — implement used to row a boat
  • Javanese: dhayung — implement used to row a boat
  • Karelian: airo — implement used to row a boat
  • Kazakh: ескек (eskek) — implement used to row a boat
  • Kazakh: қалақ (qalaq) — implement used to row a boat
  • Khmer: ច្រវា (crɑɑvaa) — implement used to row a boat
  • Korean: 노 (no) — implement used to row a boat
  • Korean: 로 (ro) — implement used to row a boat
  • Northern Kurdish: bêrik — implement used to row a boat
  • Kyrgyz: калак (kalak) — implement used to row a boat
  • Lao: ແຊວ (sǣu) — implement used to row a boat
  • Latin: rēmus — implement used to row a boat
  • Latvian: airis — implement used to row a boat
  • Laz: ხოპე (xop̌e) — implement used to row a boat
  • Lithuanian: irklas — implement used to row a boat
  • Macedonian: ве́сло (véslo) — implement used to row a boat
  • Maguindanao: dayong — implement used to row a boat
  • Malay: dayung — implement used to row a boat
  • Malecite-Passamaquoddy: lacqessut — implement used to row a boat
  • Maltese: moqdief — implement used to row a boat
  • Māori: hoe — implement used to row a boat
  • Maranao: dayong — implement used to row a boat
  • Marathi: वल्हे (valhe) — implement used to row a boat
  • Marathi: नौकादंड (naukādaṇḍa) — implement used to row a boat
  • Marathi: अवले (avle) — implement used to row a boat
  • Mazanderani: فیه (fiye) — implement used to row a boat
  • Minangkabau: dayuang — implement used to row a boat
  • Mingrelian: ხოპი (xoṗi) — implement used to row a boat
  • Moksha: миле (mile) — implement used to row a boat
  • Mongolian: сэлүүр (selüür) — implement used to row a boat
  • Nanai: гиол (giol) — implement used to row a boat
  • Norwegian Bokmål: åre — implement used to row a boat
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: åre — implement used to row a boat
  • Ojibwe: azheboyaanaak — implement used to row a boat
  • Church Slavic: весло (veslo) — implement used to row a boat
  • Old East Slavic: весло (veslo) — implement used to row a boat
  • Old English: ār — implement used to row a boat
  • Old Norse: ár — implement used to row a boat
  • Ossetian: донвиййаг (donvijjag) — implement used to row a boat
  • Pashto: پارو (pāru) — implement used to row a boat
  • Iranian Persian: پارو (pâru) — implement used to row a boat
  • Plautdietsch: Roodel — implement used to row a boat
  • Polabian: veslü — implement used to row a boat
  • Polish: wiosło — implement used to row a boat
  • Portuguese: remo — implement used to row a boat
  • Romanian: ramă — implement used to row a boat
  • Romanian: vâslă — implement used to row a boat
  • Russian: весло́ (vesló) — implement used to row a boat
  • Skolt-Sami: äirr — implement used to row a boat
  • Sanskrit: अरित्र (aritra) — implement used to row a boat
  • Scottish Gaelic: ràmh — implement used to row a boat
  • Serbo-Croatian: вѐсло — implement used to row a boat
  • Serbo-Croatian: vèslo — implement used to row a boat
  • Sicilian: remu — implement used to row a boat
  • Slovak: veslo — implement used to row a boat
  • Slovene: veslo — implement used to row a boat
  • Lower Sorbian: wjasło — implement used to row a boat
  • Upper Sorbian: wjesło — implement used to row a boat
  • Spanish: remo — implement used to row a boat
  • Swedish: åra — implement used to row a boat
  • Tagalog: gaod — implement used to row a boat
  • Tagalog: sagwan — implement used to row a boat
  • Tajik: бели заврақ (bel-i zavraq) — implement used to row a boat
  • Tajik: бел (bel) — implement used to row a boat
  • Talysh: avar — implement used to row a boat
  • Tamil: துடுப்பு (tuṭuppu) — implement used to row a boat
  • Tatar: ишкәк (işkäk) — implement used to row a boat
  • Telugu: తెడ్డు (teḍḍu) — implement used to row a boat
  • Thai: กรรเชียง (gan-chiiang) — implement used to row a boat
  • Turkish: kürek — implement used to row a boat
  • Turkmen: kürek — implement used to row a boat
  • Udmurt: полыс (polys) — implement used to row a boat
  • Ugaritic: 𐎎𐎘𐎉 (mṯṭ) — implement used to row a boat
  • Ukrainian: весло́ (vesló) — implement used to row a boat
  • Urdu: چَپُّو (cappū) — implement used to row a boat
  • Urdu: پَتْوار (patvār) — implement used to row a boat
  • Uyghur: ئەشكەك (eshkek) — implement used to row a boat
  • Uzbek: eshkak — implement used to row a boat
  • Venetan: remo — implement used to row a boat
  • Vietnamese: chèo — implement used to row a boat
  • Welsh: rhwyf — implement used to row a boat
  • Woiwurrung: kana-goo-ulom — implement used to row a boat
  • Yakut: эрдии (erdii) — implement used to row a boat
  • Yiddish: וועסלע (vesle) — implement used to row a boat
  • Yiddish: רודער (ruder) — implement used to row a boat
  • Yiddish: יאָסלע (yosle) — implement used to row a boat
  • Zazaki: huwe (diq) — implement used to row a boat