oblong
Americanadjective
-
elongated, usually from the square or circular form.
-
in the form of a rectangle one of whose dimensions is greater than the other.
noun
-
oblongs
plural
adjective
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of oblong
1375–1425; late Middle English oblonge < Latin oblongus rather long, equivalent to ob- ob- + longus long 1
Explanation
If you take a rectangle or a circle and stretch it out, you end up with an elongated shape called an oblong. If you stretch a circle until it becomes an oval, you've made it oblong. First consider the Latin word longus, which means "long," and the prefix "ob," which refers to some direction. It makes sense, then, that an oblong should be an elongated shape, stretched long in one direction. It can be used a noun or an adjective. If your dining room table is an oblong, you're going to need an oblong tablecloth.
Vocabulary lists containing oblong
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Instead, it has an oddly shaped chunk of metal at its heart, spinning inside an oblong chamber in which the usual cycle of compression, combustion and exhaust takes place.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 24, 2026
Orozco and his wife have run the modest cafe since 1997, serving items such as huevos rancheros, tacos, burgers and fajitas on oblong plates with a side of grapefruit.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 28, 2025
There’s something rather whimsical about eating the oblong fruit.
From Salon ● Sep. 6, 2025
The most famous visual landmark associated with Singapore is probably the Marina Bay Sands, with Moshe Safdie’s oblong, swimmable rooftop straddling three buildings.
From Slate ● Mar. 28, 2025
It’s recently built, oblong in shape, flat- roofed, undecorated, unrevealing, sort of like a factory.
From "Cat's Eye" by Margaret Atwood
The logo is different, but still evokes the golden arches: a circle and two yellow oblongs — representing a beef patty and french fries — configured into a stylized M.
From Seattle Times ● Jun. 12, 2022
Most of Engida’s canvases are crowded with women in domestic scenes, their faces rendered in simple black lines, except for the bright red oblongs that often represent lips.
From Washington Post ● Oct. 14, 2020
“My sense of proportion tells me that oblongs are more attractive than squares, just as…a greyhound is more graceful than an English bulldog,” Mr. Earl wrote in a 1954 essay in the Saturday Evening Post.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 25, 2018
Each key came in a safe-deposit box envelope, those small, stiff oblongs that close with a reassuring snap.
From New York Times ● May 10, 2013
Sunlight measured itself out in regular oblongs on the shabby, but soft red carpets, and a whiff of fresh-cut grass sweetened the air.
From "The Bell Jar" by Sylvia Plath
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
