Illustration of egg
- 1 shell
- 2 outer shell membrane
- 3 inner shell membrane
- 4 air space
- 5 chalaza
- 6 albumen or white layers
- 7 yolk layers
- 8 blastodisc
- 9 vitelline membrane
often attributive
1
a
: 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
c
: ovum
2
: something resembling an egg
eggless
adjective
see also egg on one's face
Examples of egg in a Sentence
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
Recent Examples on the Web
Grrlscientist, Forbes.com, 23 Jan. 2026
Maricela Resendiz picked up chicken, eggs and pizzas at a store Friday to get her, her 5-year-old son and her boyfriend through the weekend.
—Emilie Megnien, Los Angeles Times, 23 Jan. 2026
Reia Li, AZCentral.com, 22 Jan. 2026
Wearing capris, a blazer, and the Birkenstocks that made an indelible impression on Rolling Stone senior writer Angie Martoccio during their interview earlier that year, Weir played an inspired solo while Hagar egged him on.
—Joseph Hudak, Rolling Stone, 11 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for egg
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Noun
In areas where more native trees were present, blue tits laid more eggs, laid them earlier in the year and successfully raised more chicks to fledging.
—Grrlscientist, Forbes.com, 23 Jan. 2026
Maricela Resendiz picked up chicken, eggs and pizzas at a store Friday to get her, her 5-year-old son and her boyfriend through the weekend.
—Emilie Megnien, Los Angeles Times, 23 Jan. 2026
Verb
Vital Farms eggs scandal The present round of scrutiny on Vital Farms is based on a test done by Nourish Food Club, which sells its own soy eggs, cheese and meats raised using regenerative farming.
—Reia Li, AZCentral.com, 22 Jan. 2026
Wearing capris, a blazer, and the Birkenstocks that made an indelible impression on Rolling Stone senior writer Angie Martoccio during their interview earlier that year, Weir played an inspired solo while Hagar egged him on.
—Joseph Hudak, Rolling Stone, 11 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for egg
Cite this Entry
“Egg.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/egg. Accessed 26 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
egg
2 of 2 noun1
a
: 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 also ovum
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)
Medical Definition
egg
noun1
: the hard-shelled reproductive body produced by a bird and especially by the common domestic chicken (Gallus gallus domesticus)
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
3
: ovum
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
