suboval

Suboval is a term used in informal discussions to describe shapes that are oval-like but not strictly defined as an oval. There is no universally accepted formal definition in mathematics, so the meaning of suboval varies by domain. Broadly, suboval can refer to either a region lying wholly inside an oval or to a shape whose boundary approximates an oval while incorporating modifications such as flattened sides, tapered ends, or variable curvature. In practice, suboval is used as a descriptive label rather than a precise geometric class.

In design and graphics, suboval shapes describe capsules, eggs, or rounded rectangles that resemble ovals but with straight or clipped edges. In computer graphics and computational geometry, suboval approximations may be produced by clipping a circle with tangents or by interpolating points along an oval boundary to create polygonal or spline representations that remain within an oval’s boundary. When a precise definition is required, it is best to specify the exact boundary description, such as a region bounded by a closed curve that lies inside a given oval, or a convex region whose boundary deviates within defined limits from that of a reference oval.

See also: oval, ellipse, rounded rectangle, superellipse, convex hull. Notes on usage indicate that suboval is context-dependent and should be defined explicitly in rigorous work.