Main Entry:

yolk

Pronunciation:

\ˈyōk, ˈyelk (in cultivated speech, especially Southern), also ˈyōlk, ˈyȯlk, ˈyälk, ˈyəlk\

Variant(s):

also yoke \ˈyōk\

Function:

noun

Etymology:

Middle English yolke, from Old English geoloca, from geolu yellow — more at yellow

Date:

before 12th century

1 a: the yellow spheroidal mass of stored food that forms the inner portion of the egg of a bird or reptile and is surrounded by the white — see egg illustration barchaic : the whole contents of an animal ovum consisting of a protoplasmic formative portion and an inert nutritive portion c: material stored in an animal ovum that supplies food to the developing embryo and consists chiefly of proteins, lecithin, and cholesterol2 [akin to Middle Dutch ieke yolk (of wool), Old English ēowu ewe] : oily material in unprocessed sheep wool consisting of wool fat, suint, and debris

— yolked adjective

— yolky adjective