spheroid

[ sfeer-oid ]

noun

1. a solid geometrical figure similar in shape to a sphere, as an ellipsoid.

adjective

1. spheroidal.

spheroid

/ ˈsfɪərɔɪd /

noun

1. maths another name for ellipsoid of revolution

adjective

1. shaped like but not exactly a sphere

spheroid

/ sfîr′oid′ /

1. A three-dimensional geometric surface generated by rotating an ellipse on or about one of its axes.

Word History and Origins

Origin of spheroid¹

1655–65; < Latin sphaeroīdēs < Greek sphairoeidḗs. See sphere, -oid

Example Sentences

Although tested in monkeys, it is worth noting that the cardiac spheroid production protocol used in this study was designed for clinical application in humans.

From Science Daily

"Under the microscope, you can see very clearly: neighboring spheroids grow together, the cells migrate from one spheroid to the other and vice versa, they connect seamlessly and result in a closed structure without any cavities -- in contrast to other methods that have been used so far, in which visible interfaces remain between neighboring cell clumps."

From Science Daily

But because the earth is an oblate spheroid, the sea level at the Equator is some 14 miles farther from the center of the earth than the sea level at the North Pole.

From Scientific American

Still, the spheroid model “is a reductionist approach,” she cautions; the human body, which has a varied arsenal of immune cells and a diverse and largely beneficial microbiome, may have other mechanisms that keep cancers from metastasizing.

From Science Magazine

The ashtray part is a nearly 4-pound square of pleasingly smooth, white concrete with a spheroid indentation in the center and a notch in two opposite corners.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• bulbous
• curled
• curved
• cylindrical
• elliptical
• oval
• rounded
• spherical