Obovoid

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Having a form that is rounded and wider at the top, tapering downwards towards a narrower base, often likened to an inverted egg shape
2. Denoting an object that is wider at its upper part and gradually narrows below, resembling an oval figure
3. Having a shape that is broader at the top and narrows toward the bottom, similar to an upside-down egg

Etymology: "Obovoid" is a plain technical formation, built from two parts that are each easy to pin down. The second part, "ovoid," means "egg-shaped," coming from the Latin "ovum," meaning egg, with the suffix "-oid," meaning "resembling." The first part, "ob-," is a Latin prefix meaning "inverse," so the compound describes something that is the reverse of an egg: broad at the top and narrowing toward the base. The result is a descriptive term for botany, zoology and anatomy, where precise shape words help distinguish leaves, seeds and cells that look alike at a glance. Its construction is transparent enough that a reader who knows "ovoid" can work out the meaning directly from "ob-" without a dictionary.

Synonyms: egg-shaped