Egg Definition

ĕg

egged, egging, eggs

noun

eggs

The oval or round body laid by a female bird, fish, reptile, insect, etc., containing a supply of nutrients, a protective membrane, and, when fertilized, the embryo of a new individual: many kinds of eggs have a thin, brittle shell as an outer covering.

Webster's New World

A reproductive cell produced by a female animal or plant; ovum.

Webster's New World

The egg of a domestic fowl; specif., the liquid contents of a hen's egg, as used in cooking.

Webster's New World

A thing resembling a hen's egg.

Webster's New World

A person.

He's a good egg.

Webster's New World

Synonyms:

verb

egged, egging, eggs

To mix or cover with the yolk or white of eggs, as in cooking.

Webster's New World

To throw eggs at.

Webster's New World

To urge or incite.

Webster's New World

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.

Wiktionary

(obsolete except in egg on) To encourage, incite.

Wiktionary

Synonyms:

idiom

egg on (one's) face

Embarrassment; humiliation:
If you do that, you'll end up with egg on your face.

American Heritage

lay an egg

To fail, especially in a public performance.

American Heritage

put

To risk everything on a single venture.

American Heritage

egg on one's face

embarrassment due to an obvious blunder

Webster's New World

lay an egg

to fail completely

Webster's New World

Other Word Forms of Egg

Noun

Singular:

egg

Plural:

eggs

Idioms, Phrasal Verbs Related to Egg

Origin of Egg

From Middle English egge, from Old Norse egg (“egg”), from Proto-Germanic *ajją (“egg”), by Holtzmann's Law from Proto-Indo-European *h₂ōwyóm (“egg”). Cognate with Icelandic egg (“egg”), Norwegian egg (“egg”), Swedish ägg (“egg”), Danish æg (“egg”). The native English ey (pl. eyren), akin to Dutch ei (pl. eieren) and German Ei (pl. Eier) survived into the 16th century before being fully replaced by egg. More at ey.

From Wiktionary
Middle English egge bird's egg from Old Norse egg awi- in Indo-European roots

From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition
Middle English eggen from Old Norse eggja ak- in Indo-European roots

From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition
From Old Norse eggja (“to edge”).

From Wiktionary