An oval (from Latin ovum, "egg") is a closed curve in a plane which "loosely" resembles the outline of an egg. The term is not very specific, but in some areas (projective geometry, technical drawing, etc.) it is given a more precise definition. In common English, the term is used in a broader sense; any shape which reminds one of an egg. The 3-dimensional version of an oval is called an ovoid.

The term oval when used to describe curves in geometry is not well-defined, except in the context of projective geometry. Many distinct curves are commonly called ovals or are said to have an "oval shape". Generally, to be called an oval, a plane curve should resemble the outline of an egg or an ellipse. In particular, the common traits that these curves have are:

Examples of ovals described elsewhere include:

An ovoid is the 3-dimensional surface generated by rotating an oval curve about one of its axes of symmetry. The word ovoidal refers to the characteristic of being an ovoid and is often used as a synonym for "egg shaped".

Paul Jacob (born 1960) is an activist, organizer, and advocate for legislative term limits, initiative & veto referendum rights, and limited government in the United States. He writes a weekly column for Townhall.com and his short radio commentary feature, "Common Sense," is syndicated by the Citizens In Charge Foundation on over 120 radio stations around the U.S. He has held positions with the Libertarian Party (United States), U.S. Term Limits, Americans for Limited Government, the Citizens In Charge Foundation and the Sam Adams Alliance.

Because Jacob emphasizes institutional and procedural reforms—most notable being ballot initiative and referendum rights and legislative term limits--his libertarian philosophy appears more centrist than either Left-libertarian or rightist. Though often writing from a background of cultural conservatism, his frequent criticisms of what he regards as Republican Party "excesses" distances his writing from that of most other columnists usually defined as "on the right". Examples of Jacob's views can be read in his columns on Townhall.com, as well as in his "Common Sense" commentaries. Frequent targets of his commentary include Republicans known for their pork barrel spending, such as Senator Ted Stevens, and both Democrats and Republicans who support campaign spending regulations, such as Senators Russ Feingold and John McCain. Paul Jacob has repeatedly argued that the McCain-Feingold law, and all similar campaign finance reform measures, are clear violations of the First Amendment.