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

They also have an oval tooth patch and striking red eyes with a black pupil bordered by a thin gold ring.

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

The new analysis corrects those measurements and finds no strong evidence for precession, suggesting the oval orbit likely originated during the system's formation rather than being caused by spin effects.

From Science Daily • Mar. 12, 2026

A velodrome is a similar environment to the indoor ice oval, and Stolz could learn “race craft, positioning and timing,” Quirk said.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 16, 2026

The top of the oval was ringed with bleachers.

From "Gregor the Overlander" by Suzanne Collins

Related Words

• elliptical