oasis

Everyday

1. A place in a desert where there is water, so plants and trees such as date palms can grow. tree →
2. (figurative) A calm, pleasant place in the middle of a busy or difficult place. tree →

In the lessons

In geography lessons, oases are water sources in the Sahara or Arabian deserts where travellers and camels stop. In stories, thirsty travellers dream of reaching an oasis. In everyday talk, a quiet library can be an oasis of calm. Phrases: an oasis of calm, desert oasis. Oasis (a name) was also a famous English band.

Examples

• The camels drank at the oasis. tree →
• Date palms grow around the oasis. tree →
• The travellers walked for days to reach an oasis. tree →
• The park is an oasis of green in the busy city. tree →
• Our library corner is an oasis of calm. tree →
• Some oases have water coming up from under the ground. tree →

Note

Plural oases (oh-AY-seez), not oasises. Pronounced oh-AY-sis. A mirage of water in a desert is not an oasis: it is a trick of the light.