Meaning & use
ovoid
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Meanings
adjectivenot comparabletechnical
Shaped like an egg, with one end rounder or wider than the other.
Grammar: Describes a shape: an ovoid pebble.
Patterns
- ovoid in shape
The nest held three small ovoid eggs.
The fruit is ovoid and about the size of a plum.
Under the microscope, the cells looked ovoid.
nouncountabletechnical
An egg-shaped solid object or form.
Grammar: Takes an article and a plural: an ovoid, two ovoids.
Patterns
- an ovoid of something
The sculptor carved a smooth ovoid from the marble.
The seed is a tiny ovoid.
In the diagram, the planet's orbit is drawn as an ovoid.
Word forms
| plural (noun) | ovoids |
|---|
Common combinations
- ovoid shape
- The stone had a smooth ovoid shape.
- ovoid leaves
- The shrub has glossy ovoid leaves.
- ovoid in shape
- The pond is ovoid in shape.
- ovoid head
- The statue has a smooth ovoid head.
- ovoid fruit
- An ovoid fruit hung from the branch.
Synonyms and how they differ
- egg-shaped
- Is the everyday phrase for the same shape and is easier for non-specialists.
- oval
- Usually describes a flat outline like a stretched circle, while ovoid usually implies a three-dimensional solid.
- ovate
- Is a botanical term for flat leaves that are wider at the base, narrower than ovoid.
- elliptical
- Describes a precise mathematical curve with two focal points, not a rounded egg.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: ovoid or oval? ovoid or avoid?
ovoid vs oval
Oval is a flat, two-dimensional outline, while ovoid is a three-dimensional egg shape.
ovoid vs avoid
Avoid is a verb meaning stay away from, and its spelling is only slightly different.
Practice
Which object is best described as ovoid?
Choose one answer.
An egg is round and narrower at one end, which is ovoid. A basketball is spherical, a card is flat and a brick has corners.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “ovoid”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.