spheroid

from WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006)

spheroid
    n 1: a shape that is generated by rotating an ellipse around one
         of its axes; "it looked like a sphere but on closer
         examination I saw it was really a spheroid" [syn:
         {spheroid}, {ellipsoid of revolution}]

from The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48

Spheroid \Sphe"roid\, n. [L. spheroides ball-like, spherical,
   Gr. ???; ???? sphere + e'i^dos form: cf. F. sph['e]ro["i]de.]
   A body or figure approaching to a sphere, but not perfectly
   spherical; esp., a solid generated by the revolution of an
   ellipse about one of its axes.
   [1913 Webster]

   {Oblate spheroid}, {Prolate spheroid}. See {Oblate},
      {Prolate}, and {Ellipsoid}.
      [1913 Webster]