squoval adj. square with rounded corners. Also as noun. Editorial Note: This term is especially common among manicurists, who use it to describe a particular shape of fingernails and toenails. Etymological Note: square + oval (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
Amy from Charlotte, North Carolina, reports a dispute arose when visiting her brother’s family. Is a large container for storing sugar properly called a can or a canister? The answer involves prototype theory, which in cognitive linguistics and...
Abishek in Gaffney, South Carolina, found himself using the word Tetrising to refer to trying to pack a lot of small items into a moving van, based on the video game Tetris, in which players try to make various combinations of squares all fit...
I’m not into manicures, but I always appreciate an economical, apt word. “Squoval” speaks well in two syllables, better than “ovalare”; “ovaquare”; or, eupuistically, “ovalosquare” (oh VEL uh square).
I agree! It’s euphonic: “sqwoh-vuhl” sounds like an alcoholic drink made with Bovril. Or a type of gunpowder intended for squirrel-hunting.