Oar

Part of speech: noun, verb

Pronunciation: /ɔː/

Definitions

1. A long pole with a flat or spoon-shaped blade at one end, used to propel a boat through pulling motions in the water
2. A slender tool fitted with a broad blade, typically used for rowing a boat by pushing against the water's surface
3. A pole with a flattened end designed to help navigate and steer a watercraft by manually moving it through the water

Etymology: The oar is one of the oldest tools in the English vocabulary, and its name has no reliable origin beyond the Germanic family it belongs to. Old English "ār" was a close relative of the Old Norse "ár", and the two languages shared the word for the rowing blade long before either was written down. Because the word is so basic, it appears across the Germanic languages with the same core meaning, which points to a very ancient tool name rather than one coined in a single place. The word's most striking feature is how much it has outlived the boats it once served. The oar has been used for rowing since the earliest seafaring, yet the verb "to oar" and the phrase "to put in one's oar", meaning to interfere in someone else's business, show how deeply the image of rowing became part of everyday speech.

Synonyms: paddle, blade, scull, lever, row