Ob·late a.
1. Geom. Flattened or depressed at the poles; as, the earth is an oblate spheroid.
2. Offered up; devoted; consecrated; dedicated; -- used chiefly or only in the titles of Roman Catholic orders. See Oblate, n.
Oblate ellipsoid or Oblate spheroid Geom., a solid generated by the revolution of an ellipse about its minor axis; an oblatum. Contrasted with prolate spheroid. See Ellipsoid of revolution, under Ellipsoid.
Pro·late a. Stretched out; extended; especially, elongated in the direction of a line joining the poles; as, a prolate spheroid; -- opposed to oblate.
Prolate cycloid. See the Note under Cycloid.
Prolate ellipsoid or Prolate spheroid Geom., a figure generated by the revolution of an ellipse about its major axis. Contrasted with oblate spheroid. See Ellipsoid of revolution, under Ellipsoid.
Sphe·roid n. A body or figure approaching to a sphere, but not perfectly spherical; esp., a solid generated by the revolution of an ellipse about one of its axes.
Oblate spheroid, Prolate spheroid. See Oblate, Prolate, and Ellipsoid.
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