ōˈāsə̇s, ˈōəsə̇s noun
( plural oa·ses -ˌsēz)
Etymology: Late Latin, fertile land in the Libyan desert, from Greek, probably of Hamitic origin; akin to Coptic wahe
1. : a small isolated fertile area (as in the midst of a sandy desert) that is surrounded by general aridity or barrenness and that is typically marked by trees or other greenery and that has a water supply furnished by local springs or wells or by local seepage or by water flowing from a distant source either naturally or through artificial irrigation
2. : something (as a place of refuge or a time of relaxation) existing or occurring in an isolated way (as in the midst of surrounding dreariness or monotony or tiresomeness) and affording welcome refreshment or relief or contrast
an oasis of calm in a troubled and turbulent universe — Douglas MacArthur
an oasis of prosperity in an increasingly impoverished world — P.G.Worsthorne
a lovely intellectual oasis — Green Peyton
3. : any of numerous small dark roundish spots on the planet Mars at the intersection of its canals