egg
1the roundish reproductive body produced by the female of certain animals, as birds and most reptiles, consisting of an ovum and its envelope of albumen, jelly, membranes, egg case, or shell, according to species.
such a body produced by a domestic bird, especially the hen.
to prepare (food) by dipping in beaten egg.
Idioms about egg
egg on one's face, Informal. humiliation or embarrassment resulting from having said or done something foolish or unwise: They were afraid to back the losing candidate and wind up with egg on their faces.
lay an egg, Informal. to fail wretchedly, especially to be unsuccessful in front of an audience: He laid an egg as the romantic hero.
put all one's eggs in one basket, to venture all of something that one possesses in a single enterprise.
walk on eggs, to walk or act very cautiously.
Origin of egg
1pronunciation note For egg
Other words from egg
- eggless, adjective
- eggy, adjective
Other definitions for egg (2 of 2)
to incite or urge; encourage (usually followed by on).
Origin of egg
2Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
British Dictionary definitions for egg (1 of 2)
/ (ɛɡ) /
the oval or round reproductive body laid by the females of birds, reptiles, fishes, insects, and some other animals, consisting of a developing embryo, its food store, and sometimes jelly or albumen, all surrounded by an outer shell or membrane
Also called: egg cell any female gamete; ovum
the egg of the domestic hen used as food
something resembling an egg, esp in shape or in being in an early stage of development
bad egg old-fashioned, informal
a bad person
an exclamation of dismay
good egg old-fashioned, informal
a good person
an exclamation of delight
lay an egg slang, mainly US and Canadian
to make a joke or give a performance, etc, that fails completely
(of a joke, performance, etc) to fail completely; flop
put all one's eggs in one basket or have all one's eggs in one basket to stake everything on a single venture
teach one's grandmother to suck eggs to presume to teach someone something that he knows already
with egg on one's face informal made to look ridiculous
to dip (food) in beaten egg before cooking
US informal to throw eggs at
Origin of egg
1British Dictionary definitions for egg (2 of 2)
/ (ɛɡ) /
(tr usually foll by on) to urge or incite, esp to daring or foolish acts
Origin of egg
2Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Scientific definitions for egg
[ ĕg ]
The larger, usually nonmotile female reproductive cell of most organisms that reproduce sexually. Eggs are haploid (they have half the number of chromosomes as the other cells in the organism's body). During fertilization, the nucleus of an egg cell fuses with the nucleus of a sperm cell (the male reproductive cell) to form a new diploid organism. In animals, eggs are spherical, covered by a membrane, and usually produced by the ovaries. In some simple aquatic animals, eggs are fertilized and develop outside the body. In some terrestrial animals, such as insects, reptiles and birds, eggs are fertilized inside the body but are incubated outside the body, protected by durable, waterproof membranes (shells) until the young hatch. In mammals, eggs produced in the ovaries are fertilized inside the body and (except in the cases of monotremes) develop in the reproductive tract until birth. The human female fetus possesses all of the eggs that she will ever have; every month after the onset of puberty, one of these eggs matures and is released from the ovary into the fallopian tube, where it is either fertilized or discarded during menstruation. In many plants (such as the bryophytes, ferns, and gymnosperms) eggs are produced by flasked-shaped structures known as archegonia. In gymnosperms and angiosperms, eggs are enclosed within ovules. In angiosperms, the ovules are enclosed within ovaries. See also oogenesis.
In many animals, a structure consisting of this reproductive cell together with nutrients and often a protective covering. The embryo develops within this structure if the reproductive cell is fertilized. The egg is often laid outside the body, but the female of ovoviviparous species may keep it inside the body until after hatching.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Cultural definitions for egg
A female gamete.
The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Other Idioms and Phrases with egg
In addition to the idioms beginning with egg
- egg in your beer
- egg on
- egg on one's face, have
also see:
- bad egg
- good egg
- goose egg
- kill the goose that lays the golden eggs
- lay an egg
- put all one's eggs in one basket
- walk on eggs
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
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