~ 1
■ noun
1》 an oval or round object laid by a female bird, reptile, fish, or invertebrate and containing an ovum which if fertilized can develop into a new organism.
↘an infertile ~, typically of the domestic hen, used for food.
2》 Biology the female reproductive cell in animals and plants; an ovum.
3》 informal, dated a person of a specified kind: he's a thoroughly bad ~.
4》 Architecture a decorative oval moulding, used alternately with triangular figures.
Phrases
kill the goose that lays the golden ~s destroy a reliable and valuable source of income. [with allusion to one of Aesop's fables.]
with ~ on one's face informal appearing foolish or ridiculous.
Derivatives
~less adjective
~y adjective
Origin
ME (superseding earlier ey , from OE g ): from ON.
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~ 2
■ verb ( ~ someone on ) urge or encourage someone to do something foolish or risky.
Origin
ME: from ON ~ja 'incite'.