Oblongs

An oblong is an elongated shape that is longer than it is wide. In strict geometric usage, it most often refers to a rectangle whose length exceeds its width. In everyday language, the term can describe any long, narrow form that resembles a stretched rectangle, including objects with rounded corners or straight sides.

For a rectangular oblong with length L and width W, where L > W, the area is A = L × W, the perimeter is P = 2(L + W), and the diagonal is √(L² + W²). If L equals W, the shape is a square rather than an oblong. While the rectangle is the common reference, the term oblong is sometimes used more broadly to describe elongated objects in various contexts.

Applications and examples of oblong shapes are widespread in design, architecture, and everyday objects. Domino tiles, tablets, cushions, tables, bricks, and many screens or frames are described as oblongs in common language. In manufacturing and branding, oblong forms are favored for their functional proportions and visual emphasis on length.

Etymology and history: the word oblong derives from Latin oblongus, meaning elongated, and entered English via Old French. The term has been in use since the Middle Ages and remains a standard descriptor for elongated rectangular forms in both technical and casual discourse.