What’s the plural of “oasis”?
An oasis (or oases pl.) are “a fertile spot in a desert, where water is found.” (Merriam-Webster, oasis).
- Oasis is singular.
- The plural of oasis is oases (pronounced o-a-seez).
Nouns that end in –sis
Though not invariably, many nouns that end in the suffix -sis to be Greek. Like oasis, analysis, crisis, thesis, synopsis and nemesis are all Greek words, and each likewise each swaps the -is suffix with -es to become a plural,
| singular | plural |
| crisis | crises |
| diagnosis | diagnoses |
| oasis | oases |
| synopsis | synopses |
| thesis | theses |
Roughly 5% of modern English is comprised of Greek. That’s to say, we all speak a little bit Greek—you probably just never realized it. #TheMoreYouKnow
Sentences using “oasis” (sing.)
In geography, an oasis is a fertile land in a desert or semi-desert environment.
Typically, an oasis has a “central pool of open water surrounded by a ring of water-dependent shrubs and trees.
People who live in an oasis must manage land and water use carefully.
He is the one refreshing oasis in the desert wilderness of the Classical school.
—The History of Modern Painting
Now I was filled with the desire to lie here in this “oasis” and live at ease and sniff the clean fragrance of mountain plants.
—Mount Everest, The Reconnaissance Charles Kenneth Howard-Bury
Sentences using “oases” (pl.)
Oases also provide habitats for animals and plants.
Oases are made when sources of freshwater, such as underground rivers or aquifers, irrigate the surface naturally or via man-made wells.
Rain showers provide subterranean water to sustain natural oases, such as the Tuat.
Oases often have human histories that are measured in millennia.
There are two types of oases in the world.
Synonyms of oasis
- sanctuary
- haven
- asylum
- sanctum
- retreat
- hideaway
- resting place
Origin of the word oasis
The word oasis came into English from Greek (from Egyptian):
Oasis, from Ancient Greek: ὄασις, óasis, which in turn is a direct borrowing from Demotic Egyptian.
Sources
- Wikipedia, oasis.
- Brittanica: oasis.
