Oval

Pronunciation

• UK IPA: /ˈəʊvÉ™l/
• US IPA: /ˈoÊŠvÉ™l/
• Rhymes: -əʊvÉ™l

Full definition of oval

Noun

1. A shape rather like an egg or an ellipse.
2. A sporting arena etc. of this shape.

Usage notes

Note: an ellipse is a precise mathematical shape, but an oval is not.

Adjective

1. Having the shape of an oval.
2. Of or pertaining to an ovum.oval conceptions

Derived terms

• ovaline
• ovalish
• ovally

Usage notes

The adjectives oval, ovate, and ovoid all come from roots meaning "egg-shaped". They are usually denotatively synonymous. A connotation of one end being bigger than the other (which is often true of eggs) may or may not be implied. Of the three, oval is the one mostly likely to connote a symmetrical ellipse.