yolk

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

variants: or less commonly yoke play \ˈyōk\

Updated on: 24 Apr 2018

Definition of yolk

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

b archaic : 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 cholesterol

[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

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yolked

play \ˈyōkt, ˈyelkt, (in cultivated speech, especially Southern US) also ˈyōlkt, ˈyȯlkt, ˈyälkt, ˈyəlkt\ adjective

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yolky

play \ˈyō-kē, ˈyel-(in cultivated speech, especially Southern US) also ˈyōl-, ˈyȯl-, ˈyäl-, ˈyəl-\ adjective

See yolk defined for English-language learners

See yolk defined for kids

Recent Examples of yolk from the Web

In a medium bowl, whisk together until smooth the sugar, oil, buttermilk, vanilla, egg and egg yolk. Pour wet ingredients over dry ingredients.

— nancy miller, The Courier-Journal, "Banana cake with ginger gelato and seed brittle," 17 Apr. 2018
Dishes like baby lettuces with pickled sardines, tomato consommé and lemon oil; and savory French toast with squid ink, lentils and egg yolk, will be served à la carte or as part of a five-course tasting menu for $85.

— florence fabricant, New York Times, "Restaurant With Focus on Baijiu Opens in East Village," 17 Apr. 2018
Whisk in Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice, mustard, and egg yolk.

— charlyne mattox, Country Living, "Spring Greens Caesar Salad with Pickled Shallot," 12 Apr. 2018
The eggs, meanwhile, looked like experiments in frying gone wrong, with whites gone brown and yolks as splotchy as the sun, with no sunny side to show.

— mike sutter, San Antonio Express-News, "Review: Tucker’s Kozy Korner goes all in at lunch," 12 Apr. 2018
Off heat, stir in 8 tablespoons butter, 1 cup cheese and yolks.

— gail monaghan, WSJ, "How To Make Gnocchi in 4 Simple Steps," 12 Apr. 2018
My favorite dish of all is the Hodo tofu skins ($18) that resemble pappardelle but with more snap; the dish is enlightened with yellowfoot mushrooms and cured egg yolk.

— michael bauer, San Francisco Chronicle, "Mister Jiu’s fulfills its vision with 3½ stars," 11 Apr. 2018
The video claimed that the shells and yolks shown were not like those of natural eggs.

— patrick martin, Washington Post, "We put Russia’s chocolate conspiracy to the test. Here’s what we found.," 10 Apr. 2018
Dishes will include charred asparagus with country ham and cured egg yolk; brined pork chops with charred green onion bulbs; and snapper grilled with squash, zucchini, and red onion.

— andrew sessa, BostonGlobe.com, "A restaurant idea cooked up at Patriots Day barbecues," 9 Apr. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'yolk.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of yolk

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

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: before 12th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1a

See Words from the same year

Other Food Terms

Reuben, calamari, chuck, curry, edamame, foie gras, hummus, leaven, nonpareil, peel

YOLK Defined for English Language Learners

yolk

noun

Definition of yolk for English Language Learners

: the yellow part in the center of an egg

YOLK Defined for Kids

yolk

noun \ ˈyōk \

Definition of yolk for Students

: the yellow inner part of the egg of a bird or reptile containing stored food material for the developing young

History for yolk

The word yolk goes back to Old English geoloca (a spelling that seems less strange when you know that ge- in Old English could stand for the sound /y/). Geoloca, in turn, is a derivative of geolu, the ancestor of our word yellow. This makes perfect sense given the color of a yolk, but changes in pronunciation over the course of centuries no longer make the relationship of the words obvious.