oval

American  

[oh-vuhl] / ˈoʊ vəl /

adjective

1. having the general form, shape, or outline of an egg; egg-shaped.

2. ellipsoidal or elliptical.

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noun

1. an object of oval shape.

2. a body or plane figure that is oval in shape or outline.

3. an elliptical field or a field on which an elliptical track is laid out, as for athletic contests.

4. Informal. a football.

oval ¹ British  

/ ˈəʊvəl, əʊˈvælɪtɪ /

adjective

1. having the shape of an ellipse or ellipsoid

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noun

1. anything that is oval in shape, such as a sports ground

Oval ² British  

/ ˈəʊvəl /

noun

1. a cricket ground in south London, in the borough of Lambeth

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Other Word Forms

• half-oval adjective
• ovally adverb
• ovalness noun
• pseudooval adjective
• pseudoovally adverb
• semioval adjective
• semiovally adverb
• semiovalness noun

Etymology

Origin of oval

1560–70; < New Latin ōvālis, equivalent to Latin ōv ( um ) egg ¹ + -ālis -al ¹

Example Sentences

Their fins are accented with orange, and they possess a smaller oval tooth patch.

From Science Daily • Mar. 23, 2026

Agriculture Minister Jim Fairlie told parliament that the government was confident that greyhound racing "on oval tracks exposes dogs to significant risks that cannot be eliminated by other measures".

From BBC • Mar. 18, 2026

The new analysis corrects those measurements and finds no strong evidence for precession, suggesting the oval orbit likely originated during the system's formation rather than being caused by spin effects.

From Science Daily • Mar. 12, 2026

Even the Dutch fans, forming a wall of bright orange all around the racing oval, clapped in admiration as Stolz held the U.S. flag above his head.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 14, 2026

To make it fancier, she also had hung a cracked oval mirror on a nearby branch.

From "Healer of the Water Monster" by Brian Young

Related Words

• elliptical