Oval

How to spell oval

4 letters · 2 syllables

How to pronounce oval

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does oval mean?

1. adjectiveHaving a rounded, elongated shape resembling an egg.
2. nounA closed curve or figure shaped like an egg or a flattened circle.

Oval in a sentence

• adjective

  The antique mirror had a delicate oval frame.

• noun

  The architect sketched a neat oval for the courtyard fountain.

• adjective

  She chose an oval dining table to seat more guests.

• noun

  Draw an oval rather than a perfect circle for the face.

Where does oval come from?

Language of origin: Latin

The word traces back to the Latin ovum, meaning simply 'egg', the same root that gives us 'ovary' and the cookery term 'ovule'. From ovum, scholars in the medieval period formed the Latin adjective ovalis, literally 'egg-shaped', and this passed into English through French ovale during the 1500s. The sense has stayed remarkably stable: an oval is just the smooth, elongated, egg-like curve we still picture today. The single 'v' and the unstressed second syllable that sounds like a faint 'uhl' are the only real spelling snags, since the word looks deceptively simple. Remembering the egg at its heart, the 'ov' of ovum, keeps the spelling secure.

How the word is built

• ov- (from Latin ovum: egg)
• -al (adjective/noun suffix)