oblate

UK: /ˈɒbleɪt/ US: /ˈɑbleɪt, ɑˈbleɪt/ ,(ob′lāt, o blāt′)

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026

ob•late¹ /ˈɑbleɪt, ɑˈbleɪt/   adj. 

1. Mathematics flattened at the top.

See -lat-¹.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026

ob•late¹  (ob′lāt, o blāt′), adj. 

1. Mathematics flattened at the poles, as a spheroid generated by the revolution of an ellipse about its shorter axis (opposed to prolate). See diag. under prolate. 

• Neo-Latin oblātus lengthened, equivalent. to Latin ob- ob- + (prō)lātus prolate
• 1695–1705

ob′late•ly, adv. 

ob•late²  (ob′lāt, o blāt′), n. 

1. Religion a person offered to the service of and living in a monastery, but not under monastic vows or full monastic rule.
2. Religion a lay member of any of various Roman Catholic societies devoted to special religious work.

• Medieval Latin oblātus, suppletive past participle of offerre to offer
• 1860–65

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

oblate / ˈɒbleɪt/ adjective

1. having an equatorial diameter of greater length than the polar diameter: the earth is an oblate sphere
   Compare prolate

Etymology: 18th Century: from New Latin oblātus lengthened, from Latin ob- towards + lātus, past participle of ferre to bring

oblate / ˈɒbleɪt/ noun

1. a person dedicated to a monastic or religious life

Etymology: 19th Century: from French oblat, from Medieval Latin oblātus, from Latin offerre to offer