egg

plural eggs · alternative obsolete egge

1. countableuncountablebiologyAn 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.

   [T]hinke him as a Serpents egge, / VVhich hatch'd, vvould as his kinde grovv mischieuous; / And kill him in the ſhell.

   1599 (first performance), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Iulius Cæsar”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act II, scene i], page 114, column 1

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   The Eſtrich (whoſe fethers are fayrer thẽ yᵉ wynges of the ſparow hauke) whẽ he hath layd his egges vpon the grounde, he bredeth them in the duſt, and forgetteth them: ſo that they might be troden with feete, or broken with ſomme wilde beaſt.

   1535 October 14 (Gregorian calendar), Myles Coverdale, transl., Biblia: The Byble, […] (Coverdale Bible), [Cologne or Marburg]: [Eucharius Cervicornus and Johannes Soter?], →OCLC, Job xxxix:[13–15], folio xi, recto, column 2

   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.

   1657, Samuel Purchas, “Of the Generation of Bees”, in A Theatre of Politicall Flying-Insects. […], London: […] R. I. for Thomas Parkhurst, […], →OCLC, pages 47–48

   [T]here is one claſs of quadrupeds that ſeems entirely left to chance, […] Theſe are the quadrupeds that are brought forth from the egg, ſuch as the lizard, the tortoiſe, and the crocodile. […] [T]he numerous brood of eggs are, vvithout farther ſolicitude, buried in the vvarm ſands of the ſhore, and the heat of the ſun alone is left to bring them to perfection.

   1791, Oliver Goldsmith, “Of Quadrupeds in General, Compared to Man”, in An History of the Earth, and Animated Nature. […], new edition, volume II, London: […] F[rancis] Wingrave, successor to Mr. [John] Nourse, […], →OCLC, pages 311–312

   The egg is, as we have said, a kind of exposed uterus, and place in which the embryo is fashioned: for it performs the office of the uterus and enfolds the chick until the due time of its exclusion arrive, when the creature is born perfect.

   1847, William Harvey, “Anatomical Exercises on the Generation of Animals; to which are Added, Essays on Parturition; on the Membranes, and Fluids of the Uterus; and on Conception. [On Animal Generation. Exercise the Twenty-third: Of the Exclusion of the Chick, or the Birth from the Egg.]”, in Robert Willis, transl., The Works of William Harvey, M.D., London: […] Sydenham Society, →OCLC, page 264

   1. countablespecificallybiologyThe (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.

      We made a big omelette with three eggs for breakfast.

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      I should determine the minimal amount of egg required to make good mayonnaise.

      The farmer offered me some fresh eggs, but I told him I was allergic to egg.

      There after the images and reliques were orderly disposed, the great Priest compassed about with divers pictures according to the fashion of the Ægyptians, did dedicate and consecrate with certaine prayers a fair ship made very cunningly, and purified the same with a torch, an egge, and sulphur; […]

      1566, Apuleius, “The Eleventh Booke”, in William Adlington, transl., The Golden Ass of Apuleius Translated out of Latin […], London: David Nutt […], published 1893, →OCLC, page 239

      [T]hey are vp already, and cal for Egges and butter, they vvil avvay preſently.

      c. 1597 (date written), [William Shakespeare], The History of Henrie the Fourth; […], quarto edition, London: […] P[eter] S[hort] for Andrew Wise, […], published 1598, →OCLC, [Act II, scene i]

      I was 5 moneth in France before I saw a boyled or roasted egge.

      1665–1667, John Lauder; Lord Fountainhall, “Journal in France 1665–1667”, in Donald Crawford, editor, Journals of Sir John Lauder, Lord Fountainhall, with His Observations on Public Affairs and Other Memoranda 1665–1676 […] (Publications of the Scottish History Society; XXXVI), Edinburgh: […] University Press by T[homas] and A[rchibald] Constable for the Scottish History Society, published May 1900, →OCLC, page 52

      Synonyms: ey, huevo, oeuf

   2. broadlycountablebiologyA food item shaped to resemble an egg (sense 1.1.1), such as a chocolate egg.
2. alsocountableuncountablebiologySynonym of ovum (“the female gamete of an animal”); an egg cell.

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   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, but its highway to the egg is paved by the alkaline trail set down by the Great Mother.

   1981, William Irwin Thompson, “Hominization”, in The Time Falling Bodies Take to Light: Mythology, Sexuality and the Origins of Culture (A Lindisfarne Series Book), New York, N.Y.: St. Martin’s Press, →ISBN, part 2 (The Transformations of Prehistory), page 80

   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 and biochemistry are rapidly evolving, constantly changing the chemical environment necessary for the sperm to bind to the egg.

   2013 May-June, Katrina G. Claw, “Rapid Evolution in Eggs and Sperm”, in American Scientist, volume 101, number 3, New Haven, Conn.: Sigma Xi, the Scientific Research Society, →DOI, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 22 Apr 2013, abstract, page 210

   Synonyms: ovum

3. countableA thing which looks like or is shaped like an egg (sense 1.1).

   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.

   1621 August 13 (first performance; Gregorian calendar), Ben Jonson, “The Masque of the Gypsies”, in Q. Horatius Flaccus: His Art of Poetry. […], London: […] J[ohn] Okes, for John Benson […], published 1640, →OCLC, page 84

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   There vvas taken a great Glaſs-bubble, vvith a long neck; (ſuch as Chymiſts are vvont to call a Philoſophical Egg) vvhich being fill'd vvith common VVater till the Liquor reach'd about a ſpan above the bubble, and a piece of Paper being there paſted on, vvas put unſtop'd into the Receiver, […]

   1659 December 30 (date written), Robert Boyle, “[Experiment 20]”, in New Experiments Physico-Mechanicall, Touching the Spring of the Air, and Its Effects […], Oxford, Oxfordshire: […] H[enry] Hall, printer to the University, for Tho[mas] Robinson, published 1660, →OCLC, page 144

   1. countableuncountableA swelling on one's head, usually large or noticeable, resulting from an injury.

      Synonyms: goose egg

   2. countableuncountablearchitectureChiefly in egg and dart: an ornamental oval moulding alternating in a row with dart or triangular shapes.
   3. countableuncountablehobbiesA score of zero; specifically (cricket), a batter's failure to score; a duck egg or duck's egg.

      Synonyms: goose egg, love

   4. countabledateduncountablegovernmentA bomb or mine.
   5. countableuncountablecellular automataA would-be spark, especially one created by an overweight spaceship and that leads to a pattern's destruction.
   6. countableuncountablegolfA golf ball.

      But Olga continued to work through her large bucket of balls. Ninety percent of them came to rest in exactly the same spot—dead center, between 150 and 175 yards. So tightly bunched were her balls out there it looked like someone had overturned a bucket of eggs.

      2014 January 14, Bruce Grierson, “12: Shadows”, in What Makes Olga Run: The Mystery of the 90-Something Track Star and What She Can Teach Us About Living Longer, Happier Lives, Henry Holt and Company, →ISBN, page 222

4. Senses relating to people.
   1. countabledatedfigurativelyinformaluncountableA person; a fellow.

      a bad egg    a good egg    a tough egg    Cheerio, old egg!

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      'Good egg!' quoth Moorshed, and brought his hand down on the wide shoulders with the smack of a beaver's tail.

      1903, Rudyard Kipling, “‘Their Lawful Occasions’—Part II”, in Traffics and Discoveries, London: Macmillan and Co., published 1904, →OCLC, page 138

      Walter. The woman we passed as we came in just now. Is it his wife? Cokeson. No, no relation. [Restraining what in jollier circumstances would have been a wink] A married person, though. […] James. A real bad egg.

      1910 February, John Galsworthy, Justice: A Tragedy in Four Acts, London: Duckworth and Co. […], published March 1910, →OCLC, Act I, page 15

      "She isn't going to sue me for breach of promise?" "She never had any intention of doing so." The Honorable Freddie sank back on the pillows. "Good egg!" he said with fervor. He beamed happily. "This," he observed, "is a bit of all right."

      1915 September 3, Pelham Grenville Wodehouse, chapter XI, in Something New, New York, N.Y.: D[aniel] Appleton and Company, →OCLC, page 326

      They tell me at Timothy's […] that Dartie has gone off at last. That'll be a relief to your father. He was a rotten egg.

      1920, John Galsworthy, “On Forsyte ’Change”, in In Chancery (The Forsyte Saga; 2), London: William Heinemann, →OCLC, part I, page 100

      Some big, hard-boiled egg meets up with a pretty face, and bingo! He cracks up and melts.

      1932, Edgar Wallace, Merian C[aldwell] Cooper, novelization by Delos W[heeler] Lovelace, chapter 4, in King Kong, trade softcover edition, Nevada City, Calif.: Underwood Books, published 2005, →ISBN, page 29

   2. countablederogatoryethnicfigurativelyraresluruncountableA white person considered to be overly infatuated with East Asia.
   3. InternetcountabledatedderogatoryfigurativelyuncountableA user of the microblogging service Twitter identified by the default avatar (historically an image of an egg (sense 1.1.1)) rather than a custom image; hence, a newbie or noob.
   4. countablefigurativelyuncountabletransgender slangA person regarded as having not yet realized they are transgender, who has not yet come out as transgender, or who is in the early stages of transitioning.

      So I remember being told, in the very early part of my transition, that I had been, until now, an egg, and—as powerfully rooted in a belief in latency as I found myself[.]

      2020, Grace Lavery, “Egg Theory's Early Style”, in Transgender Studies Quarterly, page 384

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      That fits, though, she thought. Wear the same outfit day after day, your brain gets numb to how it looks or feels—Wendy shut the album. No. […] She hated analyzing the whys of [not-out] trans girls. She had always hated it, and she hated how easy it had become; the bottomless hole of egg mode.

      2018, Casey Plett, edited by Susan Safyan, Little Fish, Vancouver, B.C.: Arsenal Pulp Press, →ISBN, page 24

   5. broadlycountablefigurativelyuncountabletransgender slangOne's lack of awareness that one is transgender.

      to crack someone's egg

   6. New ZealandcountablederogatoryfigurativelyuncountableA foolish or obnoxious person.

      Shut up, you egg!

   7. countablederogatoryfigurativelyobsoleteuncountableA young person.

      VVhat you Egge? / Yong fry of Treachery?

      c. 1606 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Macbeth”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene ii], page 145, column 2

5. archaiccountablefigurativelyuncountableSomething regarded as containing a (usually bad) thing at an early stage.

   [S]oe Power of Warre / From the firſt Egge of Libertie, out-Creepes / A fatall Serpent; […]

   a. 1658 (date written), George Daniel, “Trinarchodia. The Raigne of Henry the Fourth.”, in Alexander B[alloch] Grosart, editor, The Poems of George Daniel, Esq. of Beswick, Yorkshire. (1616–1657) from the Original MSS. in the British Museum: Hitherto Unprinted. […], volume IV, Boston, Lincolnshire: […] [Robert Roberts] for private circulation only, published 1878, →OCLC, stanza 348, page 88

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   In ſhort, the Rebellion had been Cruſh'd in the Egg; and One Seaſonable Act of Rigour, had Sav'd the King, the Monarchy, the Church, and the Three Kingdoms.

   1683 June 5 (Gregorian calendar), Roger L’Estrange, “The State of the City of London, in the Late Rebellion. […]”, in The Observator, in Dialogue, volume I, number 345, London: […] J. Bennet, for William Abington, […], →OCLC, page [1], column 1

6. countablefigurativelyuncountablecomputingOne of the blocks of data injected into a program's address space for use by certain forms of shellcode, such as "omelettes".

   This approach would be altered for an optimal omelette based exploit. One would spray the heap with the omelette code solely, then load a single copy of the additional shellcode eggs into memory outside the target region for the spray.

   2015, Charles Smutz, Angelos Stavrou, “Preventing Exploits in Microsoft Office Documents through Content Randomization”, in Herbert Bos, Fabian Monrose, Gregory Blanc, editors, Research in Attacks, Intrusions, and Defenses: 18th International Symposium, RAID 2015, Kyoto, Japan, November 2–4, 2015: Proceedings (LNCS; 9404; Sublibrary SL4 (Security and Cryptology)), Cham, Switzerland; Heidelberg, Baden-Württemburg: Springer International Publishing, →DOI, →ISBN, →ISSN, page 241

present singular third person eggs · participle present egging · participle past egged · past egged · alternative obsolete egge

1. transitiveTo throw (especially rotten) eggs (noun sense 1.1.1) at (someone or something).

   The angry demonstrators egged the riot police.

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   The students were caught egging the principal’s car as a prank.

   Like I said before in that chapter, after that ultimate egging, Gay-D didn't mention anything about eggs again, but he meekly ask for us to stop egging Xander's door so that he wouldn't get blamed.

   2013 February, M. Golding, “Framing”, in How to Piss Off a Crappy Roommate: From A to Z, [Morrisville, N.C.]: Lulu, →ISBN, page 89

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

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

3. transitivecookingTo 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.

   "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."

   [1833, [Frederick Marryat], chapter I, in Peter Simple. […], volume I, London: Saunders and Otley, […], published 1834, →OCLC, page 8

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   Then mask another large piece with currant jelly, cover it as before, and after egging the edges, roll them over some coarse sugar, and put them immediately in the oven. Join the remaining pieces in the same manner, two and two, and after egging the edges as before, roll them alternately on pistachios and coarse sugar.

   1834, M[arie-]A[ntoine] Carême, edited by John Porter, The Royal Parisian Pastrycook and Confectioner: […], London: F. J. Mason, […], →OCLC, page 163

4. intransitiveTo collect the eggs (noun sense 1.1) of wild birds.
5. EnglanddialectalintransitivevulgarTo conceive a child, especially recklessly.

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

present singular third person eggs · participle present egging · participle past egged · past egged · first person past singular egged · archaic present second person singular eggest · past second person singular egged · archaic past second person singular eggedst · present singular third person eggs · archaic present singular third person eggeth · past singular third person egged · past plural egged · past subjunctive egged · participle present egging · participle past egged · alternative dialectal agg

1. transitiveobsolete except in egg onTo encourage, incite, or urge (someone).

   Nought such do I look to be. / But thou, a deedless man, too much thou eggest me: […]

   1877, William Morris, “Regin Telleth Sigurd of His Kindred, and of the Gold that was Accursed from Ancient Days”, in The Story of Sigurd the Volsung and the Fall of the Niblungs, London: Ellis and White, […], →OCLC, book II (Regin), page 93

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   [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: […]

   1571, Arthur Golding, “To the Right Honorable and His Verie Good Lord Edward de Vere Erle of Oxinford, […]”, in John Calvin, translated by Arthur Golding, The Psalmes of Dauid and Others. With M. Iohn Caluin’s Commentaries, London: […] Thomas East and Henry Middelton; for Lucas Harison, and G[e]orge Byshop, →OCLC, 1st part, folio iiij, recto

   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.

   1603, Matthew Kellison, “The First Chapter Sheweth How the Reformers Take Away Hope of Heauen and Feare of Hell, and Consequently Open the Gapp to All Vice”, in A Survey of the New Religion, Detecting Manie Grosse Absurdities which it Implieth. […], Douai: […] Lawrence Kellam, […], →OCLC, 7th book (Conteineth a Suruey of the New Doctrine Concerning Manners, […]), page 510

   Thus time paſſing on, within a yeere following, which was in the yeere of our Lord 1261. the king [Henry III of England] ſeeing himſelfe more and more to grow in debt, and not to bee relieued according to promiſe made, but eſpecially being egged (as may be thought) by his brethren taking it to ſtomach, ſent vp to the pope, both for him and his ſonne Edward to bee releaſed of their oth made before at Oxford.

   1610 October, John Foxe, Actes and Monuments of Matters Most Speciall and Memorable, Happening in the Church, with an Vniuersall Historie of the Same. […], 6th edition, volume I, London: […] [Humphrey Lownes] for the Company of Stationers, →OCLC, book IV, page 299, column 1

   And of them they make tvvo ſorts, the good Angels, and the bad: becauſe the good pricketh a man forvvard, to grace, goodneſſe, vertue, and honeſty: the other eggeth him to levvdneſſe, miſchiefe, ſhame, villany, and all kinde of looſe diſhoneſty.

   1633, Levine Lemnie [i.e., Levinus Lemnius], “Of the Spirit Universall Generally Inspired into the Whole World, and All the Parts thereof. […]”, in T[homas] N[ewton], transl., The Touchstone of Complexions. […], London: […] E[lizabeth] A[llde] for Michael Sparke, […], →OCLC, pages 34–35

   O harpy Love-rule, murd'rous Hag; / Whither doſt thou blind Mortals drag! / 'Tis thou to Battle eggeſt Kings / As well as Louts to Wreſtling-rings; […]

   1758, Maphaeus [i.e., Maffeo Vegio], translated by [John Ellis], The Canto Added by Maphæus to Virgil’s Twelve Books of Æneas, from the Original Bombastic, Done into English Hudibrastic; With Notes beneath, and Latin Text in Ev’ry Other Page Annext, London: […] R[obert] and J[ames] Dodsley […], →OCLC, page 35, lines 227–230

   Synonyms: edge, provoke, tempt

1. A surname.
2. informalautomotiveA Koenigsegg car.
3. humorousDragon Age fandom slangThe character Solas from the Dragon Age franchise (referring to his baldness).

   I'm a big fan of the Egg because he's so complex and intriguing.

   2017 November 8, GreenDragonPatriot, Reddit

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   Heh, i don't think she was that cunning to begin with, but romancing the Egg has rubbed off on her ;D.

   2015 October 10, SerNugll, Reddit

   Either BioWare got a new voice actor for The Egg (derogatory) or Dragon Age: Dreadwolf will feature another villain to contest against — and knowing Dragon Age like I do, it’s likely the latter.

   2023 December 4, Ash Parrish, “Dragon Age: Dreadwolf has another new trailer, and promises more details in 'Summer 2024'”, in The Verge

4. A market town in Bregenz district, Vorarlberg, Austria.
5. A municipality in Uster district, Zürich canton, Switzerland.

1. abbreviationinitialismuncountableInitialism of electroglottography.