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egg Meaning & Definition

/ɛɡ/

What Does Egg Mean?

Egg is used as a noun meaning An approximately spherical or ellipsoidal body produced by birds, insects, reptiles, and other animals, often housing an embryo within a membrane or shell during its development. The (usually) non-developing, edible egg (sense 1.1) of a domestic fowl such as a duck, goose, or, especially, chicken; the contents of such an egg or eggs used as food. It is also used to mean The (usually) non-developing, edible egg (sense 1.1) of a domestic fowl such as a duck, goose, or, especially, chicken; the contents of such an egg or eggs used as food. As a verb, it means To throw (especially rotten) eggs (noun sense 1.1.1) at (someone or something). As a verb, it means To encourage, incite, or urge (someone).

Quick Facts About Egg

Part of speechnoun, verb
Pronunciation/ɛɡ/
Synonymsnut, ball and gonad
Pluraleggs
Verb formseggs, egging, egged

Egg Definition (Noun)

  1. An approximately spherical or ellipsoidal body produced by birds, insects, reptiles, and other animals, often housing an embryo within a membrane or shell during its development. The (usually) non-developing, edible egg (sense 1.1) of a domestic fowl such as a duck, goose, or, especially, chicken; the contents of such an egg or eggs used as food.

    We made a big omelette with three eggs for breakfast.

  2. The (usually) non-developing, edible egg (sense 1.1) of a domestic fowl such as a duck, goose, or, especially, chicken; the contents of such an egg or eggs used as food.

    We made a big omelette with three eggs for breakfast.

  3. A food item shaped to resemble an egg (sense 1.1.1), such as a chocolate egg.
  4. Synonym of ovum (“the female gamete of an animal”); an egg cell.
  5. A thing which looks like or is shaped like an egg (sense 1.1). A swelling on one's head, usually large or noticeable, resulting from an injury.
  6. A swelling on one's head, usually large or noticeable, resulting from an injury.
  7. Chiefly in egg and dart: an ornamental oval moulding alternating in a row with dart or triangular shapes.
  8. A score of zero; specifically , a batter's failure to score; a duck egg or duck's egg.
  9. A bomb or mine.
  10. A would-be spark, especially one created by an overweight spaceship and that leads to a pattern's destruction.
  11. A golf ball.
  12. Senses relating to people. A person; a fellow.

    a bad egg    a good egg    a tough egg    Cheerio, old egg!

  13. A person; a fellow.

    a bad egg    a good egg    a tough egg    Cheerio, old egg!

  14. A white person considered to be overly infatuated with East Asia.
  15. A user of the microblogging service Twitter identified by the default avatar (historically an image of an egg (sense 1.1.1)) rather than a custom image; hence, a newbie or noob.
  16. A person regarded as having not yet realized they are transgender, who has not yet come out as transgender, or who is in the early stages of transitioning. One's lack of awareness that one is transgender.

    to crack someone's egg

  17. One's lack of awareness that one is transgender.

    to crack someone's egg

  18. A foolish or obnoxious person.

    Shut up, you egg!

  19. A young person.
  20. Something regarded as containing a (usually bad) thing at an early stage.
  21. One of the blocks of data injected into a program's address space for use by certain forms of shellcode, such as "omelettes".

Egg as a Verb

  1. To throw (especially rotten) eggs (noun sense 1.1.1) at (someone or something).

    The angry demonstrators egged the riot police.

  2. To inadvertently or intentionally distort (the circular cross-section of something, such as tube) to an elliptical or oval shape.

    After I cut the tubing, I found that I had slightly egged it in the vise.

  3. To coat (a food ingredient) with or dip (a food ingredient) in beaten egg (noun sense 1.1.1) during the process of preparing a dish.
  4. To collect the eggs (noun sense 1.1) of wild birds. To conceive a child, especially recklessly.

    I was out with my girlfriend in Birmingham, when some colorful local told us not to egg.

  5. To collect the eggs (noun sense 1.1) of wild birds.
  6. To conceive a child, especially recklessly.

    I was out with my girlfriend in Birmingham, when some colorful local told us not to egg.

Verb

  1. To encourage, incite, or urge (someone).

Noun

  1. An approximately spherical or ellipsoidal body produced by birds, reptiles, insects and other animals, housing the embryo during its development.
  2. The egg of a domestic fowl (especially a hen) or its contents, used as food.

    I also determine the minimal amount of egg required to make good mayonnaise.

  3. The female primary cell, the ovum.
  4. Anything shaped like an egg, such as an Easter egg or a chocolate egg.
  5. A swelling on one's head, usually large or noticeable, associated with an injury.
  6. (mildly) A Caucasian who behaves as if they were (East) Asian (from being "white" outside and "yellow" inside).
  7. A person, fellow.

    bad egg

  8. A person who is regarded as having not yet realized they are transgender, has not yet come out, or is in the early stages of transitioning.

Verb

  1. To throw eggs at.
  2. To dip in or coat with beaten egg.
  3. To distort a circular cross-section (as in a tube) to an elliptical or oval shape, either inadvertently or intentionally.

    After I cut the tubing, I found that I had slightly egged it in the vise.

Verb

  1. To encourage, incite.

Synonyms of Egg

Egg synonyms and antonyms →

Egg in a Sentence

We made a big omelette with three eggs for breakfast.

I should determine the minimal amount of egg required to make good mayonnaise.

The farmer offered me some fresh eggs, but I told him I was allergic to egg.

a bad egg    a good egg    a tough egg    Cheerio, old egg!

to crack someone's egg

Shut up, you egg!

The angry demonstrators egged the riot police.

The students were caught egging the principal’s car as a prank.

After I cut the tubing, I found that I had slightly egged it in the vise.

I was out with my girlfriend in Birmingham, when some colorful local told us not to egg.

I also determine the minimal amount of egg required to make good mayonnaise.

bad egg

Word Forms & Grammar

egg (countable and uncountable, plural eggs)

egg (third-person singular simple present eggs, present participle egging, simple past and past participle egged)

Words That Rhyme With Egg

Origin of Egg

Origin 1: The noun is derived from Middle English eg, egg, egge (“egg of a domestic or wild fowl; egg of a snake”) [and other forms] (originally Northern England and Northeast Midlands),[1] from Old Norse egg (“egg”), from Proto-Germanic *ajją (“egg”) (by Holtzmann’s law), from Proto-Indo-European *h₂ōwyóm (“egg”),[2] probably from *h₂éwis (“bird”), from *h₂ew- (“to consume”). Doublet of huevo, oeuf, and ovum.

Origin 2: The native English ey [and other forms] (plural eyren) (obsolete),[3] from Old English ǣġ, is also derived from Proto-Germanic *ajją. It survived into at least c. 16th century before being fully displaced by egg.

Origin 3: The verb is derived from the noun.[4]

Origin 4: From Middle English eggen (“to urge on; to entice, incite, lure, tempt; to encourage, exhort, stimulate; (reflexive) to bestir (oneself); to challenge, taunt; to enrage, irritate”),[5] from Old English ġeeġġian (“to egg, excite”), from Old Norse eggja (“to incite, egg on”),[6] from egg (“an edge”), from Proto-Germanic *agjō (“a corner; an edge”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₂eḱ- (“sharp”).

Quick Answers About Egg

Is egg a noun or a verb?

Egg is mainly used as a noun, but it can also be used as a verb.

What is another word for egg?

Close synonyms of egg are nut, ball and gonad. See the full list of egg synonyms and antonyms.

What is the plural of egg?

The plural of egg is eggs.

What is the past tense of egg?

The past tense of egg is egged. The present participle is egging.