oblate

¹ American  

[ob-leyt, o-bleyt] / ˈɒb leɪt, ɒˈbleɪt /

adjective

1. flattened at the poles, as a spheroid generated by the revolution of an ellipse about its shorter axis (prolate ).

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oblate ² American  

[ob-leyt, o-bleyt] / ˈɒb leɪt, ɒˈbleɪt /

noun

1. a person offered to the service of and living in a monastery, but not under monastic vows or full monastic rule.

2. a lay member of any of various Roman Catholic societies devoted to special religious work.

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oblate ¹ British  

/ ˈɒbleɪt /

adjective

1. having an equatorial diameter of greater length than the polar diameter Compare prolate

   the earth is an oblate sphere

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oblate ² British  

/ ˈɒbleɪt /

noun

1. a person dedicated to a monastic or religious life

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Other Word Forms

• oblately adverb

Etymology

Origin of oblate¹

1695–1705; < New Latin oblātus lengthened, equivalent to Latin ob- ob- + ( prō ) lātus prolate

Origin of oblate²

1860–65; < Medieval Latin oblātus, suppletive past participle of offerre to offer

Example Sentences

"We were very surprised that they turned out to be oblate spheroids, pretty similar to Smarties."

From BBC

Using a sophisticated technique, astronomers were able to take images of the star that show its shape, and it’s noticeably oblate.

From Scientific American

But in 2017, the sisters become more concerned for their safety when George Carroll, a beloved oblate volunteer, died in a stabbing in Greenpoint, several miles away.

From Seattle Times

But because the earth is an oblate spheroid, the sea level at the Equator is some 14 miles farther from the center of the earth than the sea level at the North Pole.

From Scientific American

The crucial dispute between Cartesians and Newtonians was over the shape of the Earth: Newton predicted an oblate ellipsoid, or flattened, Earth, while the Cartesians had predicted a prolate ellipsoid, or egg-shaped, Earth.

From Literature

Related Words

• ascetic
• austere
• contemplative
• secluded
• solitary