1570, from M.L. ovalis "egg-shaped" (cf. Fr. oval, 1546), lit. "of or pertaining to an egg," from L. ovum "egg," from PIE *owyo-/*oyyo- "egg" (see egg). The classical L. word was ovatus.
a closed plane curve resulting from the intersection of a circular cone and a plane cutting completely through it; "the sums of the distances from the foci to any point on an ellipse is constant" [syn: ellipse]
Egg\, n. [OE., fr. Icel. egg; akin to AS. [ae]g (whence OE. ey), Sw. ["a]gg, Dan. [ae]g, G. & D. ei, and prob. to OSlav. aje, jaje, L. ovum, Gr. 'w,o`n, Ir. ugh, Gael. ubh, and perh. to L. avis bird. Cf. Oval.]1. (Popularly) The oval or roundish body laid by domestic poultry and other birds, tortoises, etc. It consists of a yolk, usually surrounded by the "white" or albumen, and inclosed in a shell or strong membrane. 2. (Biol.) A simple cell, from the development of which the young of animals are formed; ovum; germ cell. 3. Anything resembling an egg in form. Note: Egg is used adjectively, or as the first part of self-explaining compounds; as, egg beater or egg-beater, egg case, egg ladle, egg-shaped, etc. Egg and anchor (Arch.), an egg-shaped ornament, alternating with another in the form of a dart, used to enrich the ovolo; -- called also egg and dart, and egg and tongue. See Anchor, n., 5. --Ogilvie. Egg cleavage (Biol.), a process of cleavage or segmentation, by which the egg undergoes endogenous division with formation of a mass of nearly similar cells, from the growth and differentiation of which the new organism is ultimately formed. See Segmentation of the ovum, under Segmentation. Egg development (Biol.), the process of the development of an egg, by which the embryo is formed. Egg mite (Zo["o]l.), any mite which devours the eggs of insects, as Nothrus ovivorus, which destroys those of the canker worm. Egg parasite (Zo["o]l.), any small hymenopterous insect, which, in the larval stage, lives within the eggs of other insects. Many genera and species are known.
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