A spheroid is a shape close to a ball but not a true one — squashed a little flatter at two ends, or stretched a little longer, like an egg or a rugby ball. It is a noun, and mostly a maths, science and engineering word.

A spheroid球狀體 is是 a shape close to a ball but not a true one接近球但不是真正的球的形狀 squashed a little flatter at two ends兩端被壓得扁一點 or或 stretched a little longer被拉得長一點 like an egg or a rugby ball就像蛋或橄欖球一樣 It它 is是 a noun一個名詞 and而且 mostly主要是 a maths, science and engineering word數學、科學和工程用語

The place students meet it most is geography: the Earth is called an oblate spheroid, meaning slightly flattened at the poles and slightly fatter at the equator, which is why maps and GPS calculations need it. Astronomers use it for planets and star clusters, doctors sometimes for the shape of a cell or a growth of cells, and engineers for a kind of cast iron.

The place students meet it most學生最常碰到這個字的地方 is是 geography地理課 the Earth地球 is called被稱作 an oblate spheroid扁球體 meaning也就是 slightly flattened at the poles and slightly fatter at the equator兩極稍微扁一點、赤道稍微鼓一點 which is why這就是為什麼 maps and GPS calculations need it地圖和GPS計算需要用到它 Astronomers天文學家 use it for用它來指 planets and star clusters行星和星團 doctors醫生 sometimes有時候 for the shape of a cell or a growth of cells指細胞或細胞增生物的形狀 and而 engineers工程師 for a kind of cast iron指一種鑄鐵

It can also work as an adjective (a spheroid body), though spheroidal is the more usual adjective. Two words you will see beside it: oblate (squashed, like a mandarin orange) and prolate (stretched, like an American football).

It它 can also work as an adjective也可以當形容詞用 (a spheroid body球狀體的身體) though不過 spheroidalspheroidal is the more usual adjective是比較常見的形容詞 Two words you will see beside it你會在旁邊看到兩個字 oblate扁的oblate (squashed, like a mandarin orange被壓扁的，像橘子一樣) and和 prolateprolate (stretched, like an American football被拉長的，像美式足球一樣)

In ordinary English nobody says this — they say egg-shaped, or oval, or "not quite round".

In ordinary English在普通的英文裡 nobody says this沒有人會這樣說 they他們 say egg-shaped, or oval, or "not quite round"會說egg-shaped蛋形的、oval橢圓的，或「not quite round」不太圓