spheroid

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adjective

Of a shape similar to a squashed sphere.

“UFOs are reported as being either oblate (saucer-shaped) or prolate (cigar-shaped) spheroids.”

Similar
ellipsoid of revolution
OriginAncient Greek εἶδος (eîdos) ← Proto-Hellenic *wéidos ← Proto-Indo-European *wéydos →
UncommonScrabble 14
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Meanings

adjectivespheroid (comparative more spheroid, superlative most spheroid)

comparative more spheroid · superlative most spheroid · alternative archaic sphæroid

  1. Of a shape similar to a squashed sphere.
nounspheroid (plural spheroids)

plural spheroids · alternative archaic sphæroid

  1. A solid of revolution generated by rotating an ellipse about its major (prolate), or minor (oblate) axis.

    UFOs are reported as being either oblate (saucer-shaped) or prolate (cigar-shaped) spheroids.

Synonyms & antonyms

nouna shape that is generated by rotating an ellipse around one of its axes

Similar
ellipsoid of revolution
Broader
round shape
Also see
ellipsoid of revolution

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Ancient Greekσφαῖρᾰ (sphaîră)
  2. Latinsphaera
  3. Late Latinsphēra
  4. Old Frenchsphere
  5. Middle Englishspere
  6. Englishsphere
  7. Proto-Indo-European*weyd-
  8. Proto-Indo-European*wéydos
  9. Proto-Hellenic*wéidos
  10. Ancient Greekεἶδος (eîdos)
  11. Englishspheroid

From sphere + -oid.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Bulgarian сфероид
  • сфероид (sferoid)shape similar to a sphere
Catalan esferoide
  • esferoideshape similar to a sphere
Dutch sferoïde
  • sferoïdeshape similar to a sphere
French sphéroïde
  • sphéroïdeshape similar to a sphere
Greek σφαίρωμα
  • σφαίρωμα (sfaíroma)shape similar to a sphere
Romanian sferoid
  • sferoidshape similar to a sphere
Russian сферо́ид
  • сферо́ид (sferóid)shape similar to a sphere
Ukrainian сферо́їд
  • сферо́їд (sferójid)shape similar to a sphere

Rhymes & wordplay

Anagrams

doership
Cite this entry
APA

spheroid. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/spheroid

MLA

“spheroid.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/spheroid. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “spheroid,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/spheroid.

Source: spheroid on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.