: the hard-shelled reproductive body produced by a bird and especially by the common domestic chicken
also: its contents used as food
b
: an animal reproductive body consisting of an ovum together with its nutritive and protective envelopes and having the capacity to develop into a new individual capable of independent existence
Noun
The egg will hatch about 10 days after it is laid.
the smell of rotten eggs
I bought a carton of eggs.
a batter made from flour and egg
The egg is fertilized by the sperm. Verb (1)
though exhausted, I was egged on by spectators to finish the marathon
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Noun
Beans, eggs, fresh fruits and vegetables, lean red meat, and poultry are good sources.—Sandee Lamotte, CNN Money, 15 May 2025 Grocery prices have specifically been a concern for U.S. shoppers, after egg prices continued to rise in March, brought about in part by a severe bird flu outbreak.—Rebecca Schneid, Time, 15 May 2025
Verb
Sheriff deputies arrived at the scene around 12:05 p.m. Saturday, when Mutu told them someone had been egging his apartment for the last week, the sheriff’s office said.—Diego Mendoza and Holly Yan, CNN Money, 23 Apr. 2025 The bad blood between them eggs the men onto violence, tinged with physical need.—Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune, 31 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for egg
Word History
Etymology
Noun
Middle English egge, from Old Norse egg; akin to Old English ǣg egg, Latin ovum, Greek ōion
Verb (1)
Middle English, from Old Norse eggja; akin to Old English ecg edge — more at edge
: a hard-shelled reproductive body produced by a bird and especially by domestic poultry
also: its contents used as food
b
: a reproductive body produced by an animal and consisting of an ovum with its food-containing and protecting envelopes and being capable of development into a new individual
c
: a germ cell produced by a female
called alsoovum
2
: something shaped like an egg
darning egg
Etymology
Verb
Old Norse eggja "to incite"
Noun
Middle English egge "egg," from early Norse egg (same meaning)
: the hard-shelled reproductive body produced by a bird and especially by the common domestic chicken (Gallus gallus)
2
: an animal reproductive body consisting of an ovum together with its nutritive and protective envelopes and having the capacity to develop into a new individual capable of independent existence
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