The Crossword Solver found answer to “Desert refuge”, 5 letters crossword clue. The Crossword Solver finds answers to American-style crosswords, British-style crosswords, general knowledge crosswords and cryptic crossword puzzles.
Answer : OASIS
An oasis is a lush green area in the middle of a desert, centered around a natural spring or a well. It is almost a reverse island, in a sense, because it is a tiny area of water surrounded by a sea of sand or rock.
Oases can be fairly easy to spot—at least in deserts that do not have towering sand dunes. In many cases, the oasis will be the only place where trees such as date palms grow for miles around. For centuries, the sight of an oasis on the horizon has been a very welcome one for desert travelers.
Scientists believe that migrating birds spot the glint of water from the air and swoop down for a drink. Any seeds that they happen to have swallowed earlier will be deposited in the damp sand around the waterhole, and those seeds that are hardy enough will sprout, providing the oasis with its tell-tale splash of color in the sand.
The term “oasis” comes from the Egyptian word “wh’t,” which later evolved into the Coptic term “ouahe.” The Greeks then borrowed the Coptic word, reworking it into “oasis.” Some scholars believe that the Greek historian Herodotus was actually the first person to borrow this word from Egypt. In any case, the word must have had an exotic flavor to it even back in ancient Greek times, since Greece does not have expansive deserts or oases among its landforms.
Because an oasis is such a welcome sight and a haven for desert travelers, the word is now used in English to indicate any sort of relaxing stopping point—particularly pubs and bars, with their promise of liquid refreshments.
Related posts:
