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
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.
Oblong faces with longer foreheads are suited for more narrow styles.
From Golf Digest • Jun. 26, 2018
"The way we think about it at Oblong is that things should be as simple as possible, but no simpler," he said.
From Washington Post • Mar. 28, 2016
Oblong and ethereal without sacrificing hooks or melody, the group's first single in five years mixes synthetic rhythms with Carla Azar's steady if restrained voice and enough melody to make it sticky.
From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 6, 2015
Gesture-based computing John Underkoffler, the MIT scientist who created the gesture-based computing that Cruise used in Minority Report, has developed his own company – Oblong Industries – to make it real and market it.
From The Guardian • Jun. 16, 2010
The other list is that of those who claimed exemption from military duty in 1755; 38 are from Oblong and 21 from Beekman, many of them being Quakers resident on the Oblong.
From Quaker Hill A Sociological Study by Wilson, Warren H. (Warren Hugh)
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
