ovalize

Of a circle, to become stretched out in one direction, thereby becoming an oval.

Verb

  1. Of a circle, to become stretched out in one direction, thereby becoming an oval.
    • The pipe partially restrains the elbow from ovalization but the elbow tendency to ovalize forces the pipe to ovalize. - 1974, I. S. Tuba, R. A. Selby, Wallace B. Wright, Pressure Vessels and Piping: Analysis and...
    • Under the effect of soil and external loads, the buried pipe will tend to ovalize, causing through-wall bending stresses. - 2003, G. A. Antaki, Piping and Pipeline Engineering, page 285:
    • We say “in theory” because the cross section of a thin-walled tube can ovalize upon bending, which can lead to a local collapse of the tube. - 2012, Karl J. Niklas, Hanns-Christof Spatz, Plant Physics, page 192:

Origin

From oval + -ize.

Forms

ovalizes ovalizing ovalized