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Origin and history of oar

oar(n.)

"long wooden lever for propelling a boat," Middle English or, from Old English ar, from Proto-Germanic *airo (source also of Old Norse ar, Danish aare, Swedish åra), a word of unknown origin. Apparently unrelated to the IE root that is the source of Latin remus "oar," Greek eretēs "rower," eretmos "oar," English row (v.) and rudder. As "oar-like appendage of an animal," 1580s.

A long oar, used occasionally to assist a vessel in a calm, is a sweep, and is operated by two or more men. Small oars are sculls; one rower wielding a pair, sitting midlength of the thwart. ["Knight's American Mechanical Dictionary," 1884]

Entries linking to oar

oarlock(n.)

"hole or indentation in the gunwale of a boat where an oar rests," mid-14c., or-lok, from oar + lock (n.1).

oarsman(n.)

"one who rows with an oar," mid-15c., from genitive of oar (n.) + man (n.).

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    rudder
    (late 12c. as a surname), a variation or alteration of Middle English rother, from Old English roðor "paddle, oar," from...also of Old Frisian roðer, Middle Low German roder, Middle Dutch roeder, Dutch roer, Old High German ruodar, German Ruder "oar...
    swipe
    movements" (in reference to brooms, swords, etc.), from Old English swapan; obsolete swaip "stroke, blow;" or obsolete swape "oar...
    paddle
    Meaning "short oar with a wide blade" (or two, one at each end) is from 1620s....
    stroke
    Sense of "feat, achievement" (as in stroke of luck, 1853) first found 1670s; the meaning "single pull of an oar or single...
    nautilus
    nature spake, Go, from the creatures thy instruction take, Learn of the little Nautilus to sail, Spread the thin oar...
    spatula
    flat tool or weapon," from Greek spathē "broad flat blade" used as a tool by weavers, also "blade of a sword, blade of an oar...
    palm
    1300, paume, from Old French paume, palme (Modern French paume), from Latin palma "palm of the hand," also "flat end of an oar...
    blade
    Old English blæd "a leaf," also "a leaf-like part" (of a spade, oar, etc.), from Proto-Germanic *bladaz (source also of Old Frisian bled "leaf," German Blatt, Old Saxon, Danish, Dutch blad, Old Norse blað), from PIE *bhle-to-, suffixed form (past participle) of root *bhel- (3) "t
    nave
    "main part of a church," the middle part, lengthwise, extending typically from the main entrance to the choir or chancel, 1670s, from Medieval Latin navem (nominative navis) "nave of a church," a special use of Latin navis "ship" (from PIE root *nau- "boat"), on some fancied rese
    implement
    mid-15c., "supplementary payment, amount needed to complete repayment," from Late Latin implementem "a filling up" (as with provisions), from Latin implere "to fill, fill up, make full; fatten; fulfill, satisfy," from assimilated form of in- "into, in, on, upon" (from PIE root *e

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