Prolate

3 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Prolate \Pro"late\, a. [L. prolatus, used as p. p. of proferre
     to bring forth, to extend; pro + latus, p. p. See {Pro-}, and
     {Tolerate}. ]
     Stretched out; extended; especially, elongated in the
     direction of a line joining the poles; as, a prolate
     spheroid; -- opposed to {oblate}.


     [1913 Webster]
  
     {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}.
        [1913 Webster]

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Prolate \Pro*late"\, v. t.
     To utter; to pronounce. [Obs.] "Foun-der-ed; prolate it
     right." --B. Jonson.
     [1913 Webster]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  prolate
       adj 1: having the polar diameter greater than the equatorial
              diameter; "a prolate spheroid is generated by
              revolving an ellipse about its major axis" [syn: {watermelon-shaped}]
              [ant: {oblate}]
       2: rounded like an egg [syn: {egg-shaped}, {elliptic}, {elliptical},
           {oval}, {ovate}, {oviform}, {ovoid}]