prolate

adjective

pro·​late ˈprō-ˌlāt How to pronounce prolate (audio)
: extended
especially : elongated in the direction of a line joining the poles
a prolate spheroid

Examples of prolate in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The disk’s material will most likely fall onto the embryonic moon from the radial (in-out) direction, sculpting the satellite into an egg or football shape—what’s called a prolate spheroid—with the long axis pointing toward the parent body. Phil Plait, Scientific American, 20 Sep. 2024 Unlike baseball or basketball, the American football relies on a spiral rotation because of its prolate spheroid shape. Jocelyn Solis-Moreira, Popular Science, 6 Feb. 2023 That has a physical difference when gripping an object shaped like a prolate spheroid. Andrew Beaton, WSJ, 27 Jan. 2022

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'prolate.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Latin prolatus (past participle of proferre to bring forward, extend) from pro- forward + latus, past participle of ferre to carry — more at bear, tolerate

First Known Use

1715, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of prolate was in 1715

Dictionary Entries Near prolate

Cite this Entry

“Prolate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/prolate. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

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