oval

noun \ ˈō-vəl \

|Updated on: 17 Aug 2018

Examples: oval in a Sentence

Definition of oval

1 : an oval figure or object

2 : a racetrack in the shape of an oval or a rectangle having rounded corners

See oval defined for English-language learners

See oval defined for kids

Examples of oval in a Sentence

The racetrack is an oval.

Recent Examples of oval from the Web

Riding near the wall at the bumpy 1 1/2-mile oval, Larson passed Harvick with about 60 laps remaining in the 300-mile race.

— jay cohen, chicagotribune.com, "Kyle Larson comes from rear of field to win Xfinity race at Chicagoland Speedway," 30 June 2018
Johnson was injured during a World of Outlaws race Saturday night at the 1/3-mile-long dirt oval, the series said.

— Houston Chronicle, "World of Outlaws driver Jason Johnson dies after crash," 24 June 2018
Primarily because Power has absolutely dominated on superspeedways lately, winning four of the past five races on at big ovals.

— jim ayello, Indianapolis Star, "IndyCar Texas preview: Why more mayhem could be on tap, and Will Power could win," 7 June 2018
Kyle Busch hasn’t won at the famed tri-oval since 2008.

— john zenor, BostonGlobe.com, "Kevin Harvick will try to halt Kyle Busch’s win streak," 28 Apr. 2018
So Instilled Regard will be trying to defeat history, along with eight other 3-year-old colts, on Saturday at the venerable Gentilly oval.

— michael democker, NOLA.com, "Wiener Dog Racing at Fair Grounds: photos & video," 3 Mar. 2018
Gather excess dough, roll it out to a 1/2-inch-thick oval, and continue cutting biscuits as above.

— Country Living, "Buttermilk Biscuits," 4 Oct. 2013
Tony Kanaan has conquered Iowa once before and has shown solid pace on ovals this year.

— jim ayello, Indianapolis Star, "IndyCar: 5 storylines as series heads to Hunter-Reay's home away from home, Iowa Speedway," 5 July 2018
Several years ago, Bruggenthies investigated the possibility of promoting or co-promoting a race at the oval at State Fair Park in West Allis to keep IndyCar there.

— dave kallmann, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Indy cars will keep coming back to Elkhart Lake. As for Milwaukee, 'it'd be impossible.'," 24 June 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'oval.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of oval

1570

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

NEW! Time Traveler

oval

adjective

Definition of oval

: having the shape of an egg; also : broadly elliptical

—

ovality

play \ō-ˈva-lə-tē\ noun

—

ovally

play \ˈō-və-lē\ adverb

—

ovalness

noun

See oval defined for English-language learners

Examples of oval in a Sentence

the Oval Office in the White House

Recent Examples of oval from the Web

Superimposed in the center of this ebullience is an oval frame containing a close-up color image of tangled tree roots, taken in Africa.

— sharon mizota, latimes.com, "Review: Photographer Todd Gray traces African roots," 9 July 2018
France wanted a true two-and-a-half-mile oval, like Indianapolis, which opened in 1909.

— dave caldwell, New York Times, "The Forgotten Figure Behind Daytona International Speedway," 7 July 2018
As Gossage said last month, though, the series needs to have oval tracks on the schedule considering the series' Super Bowl, the Indy 500, is run on an oval.

— drew davison, star-telegram, "Will IndyCar return to Texas Motor Speedway in 2019?," 10 July 2018
There are a number of varieties, but the most common one in America is oval and a bright orange in color.

— Houston Chronicle, "Can banana aging be foiled?," 26 June 2018
Not winning two races — one a street circuit, the other an oval — in seven days.

— jim ayello, Indianapolis Star, "Insider: No superlatives necessary. For Scott Dixon, greatness implicit," 10 June 2018
The kiddos don't really rock the oval shape anymore but the Queen couldn't care one bit.

— caroline picard, Good Housekeeping, "Queen Elizabeth Is Wearing Sunglasses and Carrying an Umbrella at Her Garden Party," 31 May 2018
D’Antoni leans back in his chair at the head of the oval table.

— lee jenkins, SI.com, "Space City: How Faith Fuels the Rockets' Explosive Offense," 1 May 2018
The Taurus has had multiple generations of design—including the third version in 1996 that was ridiculed for its oval shape.

— sarah gray, Fortune, "Goodbye to the Ford Taurus, the Chariot of my Childhood," 26 Apr. 2018

Origin and Etymology of oval

Medieval Latin ovalis, from Late Latin, of an egg, from Latin ovum

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1561

in the meaning defined above

See Words from the same year

oval Synonyms

Synonyms

elliptical (or elliptic), ovate, ovoid (also ovoidal);

OVAL Defined for English Language Learners

oval

noun

Definition of oval for English Language Learners

: something that has the shape of an egg

oval

adjective

Definition of oval for English Language Learners

: having the shape of an egg : shaped like a circle that is longer than it is wide

OVAL Defined for Kids

oval

noun \ ˈō-vəl \

Definition of oval for Students

: something having the shape of an egg or ellipse

The racetrack is an oval.

oval

adjective

Definition of oval for Students

: having the shape of an egg or ellipse : elliptical

Learn More about oval

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for oval Spanish Central: Translation of oval Nglish: Translation of oval for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of oval for Arabic speakers

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oval

Definition of oval

Examples of oval in a Sentence

Recent Examples of oval from the Web

First Known Use of oval

oval

Definition of oval

ovality

ovally

ovalness

Examples of oval in a Sentence

Recent Examples of oval from the Web

Origin and Etymology of oval

oval Synonyms

Synonyms

Phrases Related to OVAL

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OVAL Defined for English Language Learners

oval

Definition of oval for English Language Learners

oval

Definition of oval for English Language Learners

OVAL Defined for Kids

oval

Definition of oval for Students

oval

Definition of oval for Students

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