oars
oars — noun
- oarssingular
- oarsesplural
1. A strong rod, typically made of wood, that has a flattened broad tip and is used
A strong rod, typically made of wood, that has a flattened broad tip and is used to push water backwards and drive a boat forward.
Feng gripped the oar tightly and pulled it through the water with all his strength.
collocation: grip the oar / pull the oar
The old wooden oar had cracked down the middle after years of use.
Madison dipped the oar into the lake and pushed hard to steer toward the dock.
Each racing boat holds eight oars, one for every rower on the team.
A broken oar left Linh unable to guide the small boat back to the shore.
- paddle
A paddle is shorter and held in both hands, not fastened to the boat; oars are longer and pivot on the boat's side.
- scull
A scull is a type of oar used in pairs, one in each hand, on a rowing boat; each scull is shorter than a typical single oar.
- sweep
In team rowing, a sweep oar is longer and held with both hands, used on one side of the boat only.
文法句型
oar (singular) / oars (plural)
用法筆記
Often used in the plural form 'oars' because boats typically have two or more. The singular 'oar' is used when referring to one specific stick, such as one side of a rowing pair.
常見錯誤
oars — verb
- oarspresent simple I / you / we / they
- oarses3rd person singular
- oarsing-ing form
- oarsedpast simple
1. To make a boat move through water by using oars; to row, especially when describ
To make a boat move through water by using oars; to row, especially when describing the action in a particular direction or across a stretch of water.
The rescue team oared the inflatable boat across the flooded street to reach the family.
transitive use: oar + [boat] + [direction]
Gabriela oared the small dinghy toward the anchored sailboat to ask for directions.
transitive use: oar + [boat] + toward [destination]
Feng oared steadily across the calm lake while the morning mist rose around him.
The rowers oared against the strong current for nearly an hour before reaching the far bank.
- row
Far more common than 'oar'; 'row' is the everyday word for this action, while 'oar' has a slightly more literary or technical feel.
- paddle
Uses a paddle rather than oars; the motion is different — paddle strokes on alternate sides vs pulling oars evenly.
- scull
Uses two short oars (sculls), one in each hand; often used in competitive rowing contexts.
文法句型
oar + [boat]
oar + [direction/place]
oar across/through/toward
用法筆記
This verb is much less common than 'row' in everyday speech. It appears mostly in written descriptions of boating, especially when the speaker wants to emphasise the direction or effort of the movement. The verb is frequently used with a direction word such as 'across', 'toward', or 'against'.