in navigation, a long piece of wood, made round where it is to be held in the hand, and thin and broad at the other end, for the easier cutting and resisting the water, and consequently moving the vessel, by rowing. Oars for ships are generally cut out of fir-timber; those for barges are made out of New-England, or Dantzick rafters. raffers; and those for boats either out of English ash, or fir-raffers from Norway.