oared

Oared is an adjective describing a vessel or method that is propelled by oars. An oar is a long, flat-bladed implement used by rowers to move a boat through the water. When something is described as oared, it typically refers to a boat powered by human rowers using oars, as opposed to vessels propelled by sails or engines.

Historically, oared vessels have been central to seafaring for millennia. In the ancient Mediterranean and Near East, galleys such as biremes and triremes carried multiple banks of oars; rowers sat on benches and pulled in unison to generate forward motion for movement and combat. Later designs, including quinqueremes, increased the number of oars per side, expanding rowing capacity. Similar oared craft appeared in other regions, including Egypt and parts of Asia, reflecting a widespread reliance on human-powered propulsion before the dominance of sails and later engines.

In modern usage, the term oared commonly describes rowing boats in both historical and athletic contexts. In sport rowing, boats are described by the number of rowers rather than the number of oars, with configurations such as singles, doubles, fours, and eights. Sweep boats have one oar per rower, while sculling boats have two oars per rower. The historical phrase “X-oared” appears in older texts and descriptions of naval craft, whereas contemporary language often emphasizes the crew count.

See also: Oar, Rowing, Galley, Trireme, Sculling, Sweep rowing.