oval

oval — adjective

1. having a rounded form that is longer in one direction than the other, similar to

1.adjectiveB2
Definition

having a rounded form that is longer in one direction than the other, similar to an egg.

Example

Lena drew an oval window above the front door.

pattern: oval + noun

The baker placed six oval loaves on the wooden shelf.

Common collocations
  • oval face
  • oval table
  • oval mirror
  • oval window
  • oval plate
Synonyms
  • egg-shaped

    very close in meaning, often suggesting the shape of a real egg

  • elliptical

    more formal and common in math or technical description

  • oblong

    usually longer and straighter at the sides than 'oval'

Antonyms
  • round

    used when something is close to a true circle, not stretched

  • square

    used for a shape with straight sides and corners

Grammar Patterns

oval + noun

be oval

look oval

Usage Note

Usually comes before nouns such as 'face', 'table', 'mirror', or 'window', but it also appears after linking verbs like 'be' and 'look'. Distinguish from noun sense 1, where 'oval' names the shape itself.

Common Mistakes

We sat at an oval in the park.
We sat at an oval table in the park.
this sense must describe a noun.
The plate is ovally.
The plate is oval.
use the adjective directly after a linking verb.

oval — noun

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

'Oval' is the usual everyday word for something rounded but a little longer one way than the other. 'Egg-shaped' is very close, but it often suggests a shape with one end slightly narrower, so it can sound less even than 'oval'. 'Elliptical' is more formal and often appears in math, science, or careful description. 'Round' is much broader and can describe anything near a circle, so it does not clearly show the stretched shape that 'oval' does. In normal conversation, people say 'an oval table' or 'an oval face'. A teacher explaining geometry may prefer 'elliptical', while 'round' is better only when the object is almost circular.

oval ↗egg-shapedellipticalround ↗

Etymology

LatinLate LatinFrenchEnglish

English borrowed 'oval' through French from Late Latin 'ovalis', a word based on Latin 'ovum', meaning 'egg'. The link to 'egg' explains why the word is used for shapes that are rounded but a little longer in one direction.