yolk

noun

\ ˈyōk

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

variants: or less commonly yoke \ ˈyōk

Definition of yolk

1a : 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

2 [ 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

Other Words from yolk Example Sentences Learn More about yolk

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Other Words from yolk

yolked \ ˈyōkt

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

yolky \ ˈyō-kē

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

Examples of yolk in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The fried bacon was upstaged and mushed up by the fried egg topping that exploded like a water balloon at first bite, masking everything with an overwhelming yolk taste. — Chuck Blount, ExpressNews.com, "52 Weeks of Burgers: Tycoon Flats," 23 Aug. 2019 Sure, the hills can be steep, but that’s just an excuse to board an egg-yolk colored tram that takes a rollercoaster-esque route near an actual castle. — Vicky Hallett, Washington Post, "Headed to Portugal? Consider staying in Setubal rather than Lisbon.," 22 Aug. 2019 Repeat until all the whites are combined with yolks. — Illyanna Maisonet, SFChronicle.com, "How my hankering for brazo gitano led to a Stockton cherry orchard," 16 Aug. 2019 The excellent brunch menu includes the soul-satisfying broken rice porridge, with the surprise of chicken meatballs hidden inside, ginger, scallions, cured egg yolk shavings and a dash of spicy chili oil. — San Diego Union-Tribune, "We hate brunch. But we love these 10 brunch spots," 8 Aug. 2019 Meanwhile, whisk 6 egg yolks together, vigorously until pale yellow. — Danielle Pointdujour, Essence, "These Sweet Recipes Are Perfect For Celebrating National Frozen Custard Day," 8 Aug. 2019 The yolks melt into the bechamel, giving it a spring-timey yellow hue. — Adam Rapoport, Bon Appétit, "You Can’t Go Wrong with “Creamed” + “Eggs”," 22 July 2019 Crack eggs into sizzling butter and fry, basting with turmeric butter from pan, until whites are set and yolks are warmed through but still runny, about 2 minutes. — Kitty Greenwald, WSJ, "This Rice Recipe Has Everything, Plus a Turmeric-Butter-Fried Egg," 11 July 2019 Both provide bonus antioxidants and key nutrients, like vitamin D and choline in egg yolk, and vitamins E, K, and magnesium in avocado. — Cynthia Sass, Mph, Health.com, "7 Healthy Late-Night Snacks," 3 July 2019

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.