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walk on eggs - 2 dictionary results
egg
1
[eg] 
–noun
| 1. | the 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. |
| 2. | such a body produced by a domestic bird, esp. the hen. |
| 3. | the contents of an egg or eggs: raw egg; fried eggs. |
| 4. | anything resembling a hen's egg. |
| 5. | Also called egg cell. the female gamete; ovum. |
| 6. | Informal. person: He's a good egg. |
| 7. | Slang. an aerial bomb. |
–verb (used with object)
—Idioms| 8. | to prepare (food) by dipping in beaten egg. |
| 9. | 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. |
| 10. | lay an egg, Informal. to fail wretchedly, esp. to be unsuccessful in front of an audience: He laid an egg as the romantic hero. |
| 11. | put all one's eggs in one basket, to venture all of something that one possesses in a single enterprise. |
| 12. | walk on eggs, to walk or act very cautiously. |
Origin:
bef. 900; ME < ON; r. ME ey, OE ǣg, G Ei egg; akin to L ōvum, Gk ōión egg
bef. 900; ME < ON; r. ME ey, OE ǣg, G Ei egg; akin to L ōvum, Gk ōión egg
Related forms:
eggless, adjective
eggy, adjective
Pronunciation note:
Egg, like beg, leg, and other words where “short e” precedes a “hard g” sound, is pronounced with the vowel [e] of bet and let, except in parts of New England and the South Midland and southern U.S., where these words are frequently said with [-eyg], to rhyme with vague and plague, especially in the speech of the less educated. This raising of [e] to a higher vowel [ey], articulated with the upper surface of the tongue closer to the palate, also occurs before [zh], as in measure, pleasure, and treasure.
Egg, like beg, leg, and other words where “short e” precedes a “hard g” sound, is pronounced with the vowel
[e] of bet and let, except in parts of New England and the South Midland and southern U.S., where these words are frequently said with [-eyg], to rhyme with vague and plague, especially in the speech of the less educated. This raising of [e] to a higher vowel [ey], articulated with the upper surface of the tongue closer to the palate, also occurs before [zh], as in measure, pleasure, and treasure.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source
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Link To walk on eggs
walk on eggs
Proceed very cautiously, as in I knew I was walking on eggs when I asked about the department's involvement in the lawsuit. This metaphoric idiom transfers walking on fragile eggs to discussing or investigating a dangerous subject. [First half of 1700s]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
Cite This Source
Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
Cite This Source
Copyright © 2009, Dictionary.com, LLC. All rights reserved.
