Oar
/ɔːr/noun
A long pole with a flat blade used to row or steer a boat.
Did you know?English oar is a true old seafaring word, ultimately from a Proto-Indo-European root meaning “to row,” which also survives in several unrelated-looking words across Indo-European languages.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*er-
“To row, move by oars”
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*arō
“Oar”
Old English
OE
ār
“Oar”
Middle English
ME
ore
“Oar”
Modern English
English
oar
“A long pole with a blade for propelling a boat”