/ eg; NAmE / noun , verb
■ noun
1.
[ C ] a small oval object with a thin hard shell produced by a female bird and containing a young bird; a similar object produced by a female fish, insect, etc. :
The female sits on the eggs until they hatch.
The fish lay thousands of eggs at one time.
crocodile eggs
—picture at nest
2.
[ C , U ] a bird's egg, especially one from a chicken, that is eaten as food :
a boiled egg
bacon and eggs
fried / poached / scrambled eggs
Bind the mixture together with a little beaten egg.
You've got some egg on your shirt.
egg yolks / whites
egg noodles
ducks' / quails' eggs
a chocolate egg (= made from chocolate in the shape of an egg)
—see also Easter egg , Scotch egg
3.
[ C ] ( in women and female animals ) a cell that combines with a sperm to create a baby or young animal
SYN ovum :
The male sperm fertilizes the female egg.
an egg donor
—see also nest egg
•
IDIOMS
- a good egg
- have egg on / all over your face
- put all your eggs in one basket
—more at chicken noun , curate , kill verb , omelette , sure adverb , teach
■ verb
•
PHRASAL VERBS
- egg sb on
••
WORD ORIGIN
noun Middle English (superseding earlier ey , from Old English ǣg ): from Old Norse .
verb Middle English : from Old Norse eggja incite.