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

Scientists have found the strongest evidence yet that a black hole and a neutron star collided while moving along an oval shaped orbit instead of the near perfect circles scientists usually expect before such mergers.

From Science Daily • Mar. 12, 2026

Her speed isn’t limited to the oval, Bowe said.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 14, 2026

The bar itself is a big oval, packed two people deep.

From "Ask the Passengers" by A.S. King

Related Words

• elliptical