oblong

1 of 2

adjective

ob·​long ˈä-ˌblȯŋ 

: deviating from a square, circular, or spherical form by elongation in one dimension

an oblong piece of paper

an oblong melon

see leaf illustration

oblong

2 of 2

noun

: something that is oblong

These paintings, predominately black with vertical or horizontal bisections of white mixed with streaks of red, blue, or ochre, are reminiscent of … Mark Rothko's irradiated oblongs.

—The New Yorker

Did you know?

Oblong is a general but useful term for describing the shape of things such as leaves. There's no such thing as an oblong circle, since a stretched circle has to be called an oval, and any rectangle that isn't square is oblong, at least if it's lying on its side (such rectangles can actually be called oblongs). Pills are generally oblong rather than round, to slide down the throat more easily. An oblong table will often fit a living space better than a square or round one with the same area. And people are always buried in oblong boxes.

Examples of oblong in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

Bridge burner: The bridge element connects two traditional round burners to create an oblong heating area for use with a griddle, open roaster, or fish poacher. —Alice Knisley Matthias, Better Homes & Gardens, 25 June 2025

Keep accessories simple with some gold hoops and a pair of oblong sunglasses, and throw on a clutch bag with your favorite charm to add a personal touch to the dressy casual look. —Abby Morgan Lebet, Glamour, 20 June 2025

Noun

Each end of the oblong cage is left unwoven, creating a one-way gate like the traffic spikes at the exits of parking garages. —Skylar Knight, Smithsonian Magazine, 27 June 2025

The living room has a Moroccan sofa with low cushions under a pendant light, and the dining room fits an oblong table for four or six. —Roxana Popescu, New York Times, 16 May 2025

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Middle English oblonge, oblong, borrowed from Anglo-French & Latin; Anglo-French oblonge, borrowed from Latin oblongus "of greater length than breadth," from ob-, perhaps in sense "facing, against" + longus "having linear extent, long" — more at ob-, long entry 1

Noun

derivative of oblong entry 1

First Known Use

Adjective

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Noun

1590, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

oblong

1 of 2 adjective

ob·​long

ˈäb-ˌlȯŋ

: longer in one direction than in the other

an oblong shoe box

an oblong watermelon

oblong

2 of 2 noun

: an oblong figure or object