egg

An approximately spherical or ellipsoidal body produced by birds, insects, reptiles, and other animals, often housing an embryo within a membrane or shell during its development.countableuncountable

• [T]hinke him as a Serpents egge, / VVhich hatch'd, vvould as his kinde grovv mischieuous; / And kill him in the ſhell.
• An egg properly is that, out of a part vvhereof a living creature is produced, and the reſidue is meat for it, improperly that is an egg out of the vvhole vvhereof, a living creature is bred, as the eggs of Spiders, Ants, Flies.

An approximately spherical or ellipsoidal body produced by birds, insects, reptiles, and other animals, often housing an embryo within a membrane or shell during its development.; The (usually) non-developing, edible egg (sense 1.1) of a domestic fowl such as a duck, goose, or, especially, chicken; (uncountable) the contents of such an egg or eggs used as food.countablespecifically

• We made a big omelette with three eggs for breakfast.
• I should determine the minimal amount of egg required to make good mayonnaise.

An approximately spherical or ellipsoidal body produced by birds, insects, reptiles, and other animals, often housing an embryo within a membrane or shell during its development.; A food item shaped to resemble an egg (sense 1.1.1), such as a chocolate egg.broadlycountable

Synonym of ovum (“the female gamete of an animal”); an egg cell.alsocountableuncountable

• In the Fall into the division of labor, [Claude] Lévi-Strauss sees the great hunters trading women to create the exogamous bonds of one hunting band with another. The egg is, but the sperm does. The tiny sperm may be furious in its activity
• Although they serve the same function across the plant, animal and fungal kingdoms, sperm and eggs vary wildly in their structure and biochemistry, even among closely related species. […] Many genes that determine sperm and egg structure an

A thing which looks like or is shaped like an egg (sense 1.1).countable

• His ſtomacke vvas queaſie (for comming there Coacht) / The jogging had caus’d ſome crudities riſe; / To help it he call’d for a Puritan poacht, / That uſed to turne up the egg’s of his eyes.

A thing which looks like or is shaped like an egg (sense 1.1).; A swelling on one's head, usually large or noticeable, resulting from an injury.countableuncountable

A thing which looks like or is shaped like an egg (sense 1.1).; Chiefly in egg and dart: an ornamental oval moulding alternating in a row with dart or triangular shapes.countableuncountable

A thing which looks like or is shaped like an egg (sense 1.1).; A score of zero; specifically (cricket), a batter's failure to score; a duck egg or duck's egg.countableuncountable

A thing which looks like or is shaped like an egg (sense 1.1).; A bomb or mine.countabledateduncountable

A thing which looks like or is shaped like an egg (sense 1.1).; A would-be spark, especially one created by an overweight spaceship and that leads to a pattern's destruction.countableuncountable

To throw (especially rotten) eggs (noun sense 1.1.1) at (someone or something).transitive

• The angry demonstrators egged the riot police.
• The students were caught egging the principal’s car as a prank.

To inadvertently or intentionally distort (the circular cross-section of something, such as tube) to an elliptical or oval shape.transitive

• After I cut the tubing, I found that I had slightly egged it in the vise.

To coat (a food ingredient) with or dip (a food ingredient) in beaten egg (noun sense 1.1.1) during the process of preparing a dish.transitive

• "Jemima, Jemima!—ve'll ha'e the viting biled instead of fried." "Ca'n't, marm," replied Jemima, "they be all hegged and crumbed, with their tails in their mouths."

To collect the eggs (noun sense 1.1) of wild birds.intransitive

To conceive a child, especially recklessly.Englanddialectalintransitive

• I was out with my girlfriend in Birmingham, when some colorful local told us not to egg.

To encourage, incite, or urge (someone).transitive

• [Y]it haue vvee one thing in our ſelues and of our ſelues, (euen originall ſinne, concupiſcence or luſt) vvhich neuer ceaſeth too egge vs and allure vs from God, and too ſtaine vs vvith all kinde of vnclennes: […]
• Hope like a ſpurre pricketh forvvard, feare like a bridle reſtraineth, hope eggeth onvvard vnto vertue, feare pulleth backe from vice, hope incites vs to obſerue the lavv, feare makes vs feare to trãſgreſſe the lavve.