Oval Means Egg-Shaped, Not Elliptical
An oval is a rounded elongated shape. Strictly it is not the same as an ellipse.
Oval describes a rounded shape longer in one direction than the other. The word means egg-shaped, from Latin *ovum*, an egg, and that is the useful distinction: an egg is narrower at one end, while an ellipse is perfectly symmetrical about both axes. Every ellipse is loosely called an oval, but not every oval is an ellipse. *Ovum*, *ovary*, *ovulate* and *oval* all belong together, as does *ovation* only by coincidence — that comes from *ovare*, to rejoice.
- Egg-shaped. *An oval face.*
- A rounded shape. *An oval table.*
- Ellipse — a symmetrical form. *An ellipse.*
- Ovoid — egg-shaped in three dimensions. *Ovoid.*
- Latin — *ovum*, an egg. *The root.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Adjective | oval | Oval. |
| Noun | oval | An oval. |
| Related | ovoid | Ovoid. |
| Related | ovary | An ovary. |
| Latin | ovum | An egg. |
- An oval mirror.Shape.
- An ellipse is symmetrical.Distinction.
- Ovum means egg.Etymology.
The ovum family
- Oval — egg-shaped
- Ovoid — egg-shaped as a solid
- Ovary — where eggs are produced
- Ovulate — to release an egg
- Ovation is NOT related — it comes from *ovare*, to rejoice
Medieval Latin *ovalis*, from Latin *ovum*, an egg.
Is an oval the same as an ellipse?
Not strictly. An ellipse is symmetrical about both axes; an oval, like an egg, may be narrower at one end.
Is ovation related to oval?
No. Ovation comes from Latin ovare, to rejoice, and only looks similar.