I. ˈeg, ˈāg transitive verb
( -ed/-ing/-s )
Etymology: Middle English eggen, from Old Norse eggja, from egg edge of a blade, edge — more at edge
: to provoke or goad to action : incite , tempt , encourage — usually used with on
his vanity egged him on — O.S.J.Gogarty
egg their governments on to spend hundreds of millions — G.B.Shaw
Synonyms: see urge
II. noun
( -s )
Usage: often attributive
Etymology: Middle English egge, from Old Norse egg; akin to Old English ǣg egg, Old High German ei, Crimean Gothic ada, Latin ovum, Welsh wy, Greek ōion, Old Persian xāya and perhaps to Latin avis bird — more at aviary
1.
a.
(1) : the hard-shelled reproductive body produced by a bird, especially by domestic poultry
a dozen new-laid eggs
(2) : the content of such an egg used as food
I like an egg for breakfast
b. : an animal reproductive body (as of reptiles, birds, and most insects) consisting of an ovum together with its nutritive and protective envelopes and being capable of development that results in the production and release of a new individual capable of independent existence — used especially of such bodies when enclosed in a firm membrane or shell and able to withstand exposure to air
c. : ovum 1
d. : the pupa of certain insects — not used technically
2. : something resembling an egg: as
a. : an incipient idea
that a handful of men … carry in their brains the ovarian eggs of the future — Van Wyck Brooks
b. slang : a military explosive ; especially : an aerial bomb
the fighter-bombers … dropped their eggs — G.S.Patton
3. slang : fellow , guy
a good egg
a bad egg
4. : acid egg
[s]egg.jpg[/s] [
egg 1a: 1 shell, 2 shell membrane, 3 egg membrane, 4 air space, 5 chalaza, 6 albumen or white layers, 7 yolk layers, 8 blastodisc, 9 vitelline membrane
]
III. verb
( -ed/-ing/-s )
transitive verb
1. : to cover with egg
slices of meat, egged, crumbed, and fried
2. : to pelt with eggs : break eggs on
pranksters had egged his car
intransitive verb
: to gather the eggs of wild birds
IV. noun
•
- egg on one's face