Ovalize

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. To shape something so that it takes on an egg-like outline with a rounded, elongated form
2. To cause an object to become oval, or to change into an oval contour from a round or irregular one
3. Making something take an oval form, giving it a curved elliptical outline shorter at the ends

Etymology: "Ovalize" is a plain formation: the adjective "oval," from Latin "ovum" meaning "egg," combined with the verbal suffix "-ize," which turns a noun or adjective into a verb meaning "to make or become something." To ovalize something is therefore to make it oval in shape, and the word works the same way as "legalize" or "fossilize," both built on a base word plus "-ize." The base word is the more interesting part. "Oval" comes from Latin "ovum," the same root that gives English "ovary" and "ovule," so a shape named for an egg has been carrying its origin in its name for centuries. The suffix "-ize" has a longer journey of its own, passing into English from Greek through Latin and French, which is why it appears so often in verbs made from English words.