saucershaped

Saucershaped is an adjective describing objects whose silhouette resembles a saucer: a circular, shallowly curved disk with a pronounced rim. The term emphasizes a disk-like profile rather than a strictly spherical or pyramidal form. In many contexts, the shape is characterized by a broad diameter relative to height and a gentle curvature along the surface.

Usage and variation: The more common form in contemporary English is saucer-shaped, often hyphenated when used as a modifier before a noun (saucer-shaped crater, saucer-shaped cell). Saucershaped as a closed compound appears mainly in older literature or in certain technical conventions.

Fields and examples: In science and engineering, saucer-shaped describes natural or manufactured objects with disk-like geometry, including geological features, biological structures, and microfabricated components. The exact curvature may be concave or convex depending on orientation and function. The descriptor helps distinguish disk-like forms from hemispherical, conical, or cylindrical shapes.

See also: saucer, saucer-shaped, disk, disc, bowl-shaped.