Meaning

noun a fertile tract in a desert (where the water table approaches the surface)

noun a shelter serving as a place of safety or sanctuary

originFrom 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).

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 3.0