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

It was an oval basket, woven with an interior funnel into which a hapless river prawn had swum.

From Literature

In the center of the second story is an oval arch, featuring the mythological Pan and his flutes, the god of nature and the wild.

From Literature

Rather than completely breaking down -- as happens during dramatic "sudden stratospheric warming" events -- the vortex can stretch out into a more oval shape.

From Barron's

Over the course of 10 days, residents will embark on missions, oval table discussions, and murder-mystery style activities.

From BBC

In most clusters, gas heated to millions of degrees appears roughly circular or slightly oval in images.

From Science Daily

Related Words

• elliptical