oasis

name

1. Acronym of Organization for the Advancement of Structured Information Standards.

noun

Etymology: From Late Latin Oasis, from Ancient Greek Ὄασις (Óasis), from Demotic Egyptian wḥj, from Egyptian wḥꜣt (“oasis, cauldron”), G43-V28-G1-X1:N25 Compare Sahidic Coptic ⲟⲩⲁϩⲉ (ouahe) and Arabic وَاحَة (wāḥa).

1. A spring of fresh water, surrounded by a fertile region of vegetation, in a desert.

   “It was the Lost Oasis, the Oasis of the vision in the sand. […] Deep-hidden in the hollow, beneath the cliffs, it lay; and round it the happy verdure spread for many a rood. […] Yes, the quest was ended, the Lost Oasis was the Found!”

   “It was now a beautiful, moonlit night. The air was crisp and invigorating. Behind them lay the interminable vista of the desert, dotted here and there with an occasional oasis.”

2. A quiet, peaceful place or situation separated from surrounding noise or bustle.

   “The park was an oasis in the middle of the busy city.”

3. A place or situation of fruitfulness or abundance separated from surrounding barrenness or scarcity.

   “[T]here is no true American music but the wild sweet melodies of the Negro slave; the American fairy tales and folklore are Indian and African; and, all in all, we black men seem the sole oasis of simple faith and reverence in a dusty desert of dollars and smartness.”

   “I have tried to find friends like me […] but have failed to form even one prolonged relationship. Only a few of them could understand how I felt and a couple of them allowed me to express my love as intimately and vigorously as I wanted to. But for these two oases, I have lived all these years in an emotional void.”