1 egg
Pronounced:
/ˈɛg/
Function:
nounInflected forms:
plural eggsMeaning:
1 [count] : a hard-shelled oval thing from which a young bird is born ▪ The egg will hatch about 10 days after it is laid. ; also : an oval or round thing from which a snake, frog, insect, etc., is born
2 : the egg of a bird (especially a chicken) eaten as food [count] ▪ poached/fried/boiled eggs ▪ hard-boiled/soft-boiled eggs ▪ the smell of rotten eggs ▪ (US) scrambled eggs ▪ I bought a carton of eggs. ▪ (US) They served us bacon and eggs for breakfast. = (Brit) They served us eggs and bacon for breakfast. ▪ an Easter egg [=an egg that is specially decorated at Easter] [noncount] ▪ (Brit) scrambled egg ▪ a batter made from flour and egg ▪ egg white(s)/yolk
3 [count] biology : a cell that is produced by the female sexual organs and that combines with the male's sperm in reproduction ▪ The egg is fertilized by the sperm. —called also ovum
4 [count] : something that is shaped like a bird's egg ▪ a chocolate egg
2 : the egg of a bird (especially a chicken) eaten as food [count] ▪ poached/fried/boiled eggs ▪ hard-boiled/soft-boiled eggs ▪ the smell of rotten eggs ▪ (US) scrambled eggs ▪ I bought a carton of eggs. ▪ (US) They served us bacon and eggs for breakfast. = (Brit) They served us eggs and bacon for breakfast. ▪ an Easter egg [=an egg that is specially decorated at Easter] [noncount] ▪ (Brit) scrambled egg ▪ a batter made from flour and egg ▪ egg white(s)/yolk
3 [count] biology : a cell that is produced by the female sexual organs and that combines with the male's sperm in reproduction ▪ The egg is fertilized by the sperm. —called also ovum
4 [count] : something that is shaped like a bird's egg ▪ a chocolate egg
bad egg
informal + somewhat old-fashioned : someone who does bad things ▪ He was dishonest, but he was the only bad egg in the group.
curate's egg —see curate
egg on your face
◊If you have egg on your face you appear foolish, usually because something that you said would happen has not happened. ▪ The unexpected election result left a lot of journalists with egg on their faces.
good egg
informal + somewhat old-fashioned : a likeable person ▪ I've known Jim for years. He's a good egg.
lay an egg
US informal : to fail completely : to fail in a very obvious or embarrassing way ▪ He used to be a very popular star, but his last two movies have laid an egg.
put all your eggs in one basket
◊If you put all your eggs in one basket, you risk all you have on the success or failure of one thing (such as an investment), so that if something goes wrong you could lose everything. ▪ Investors should diversify their investments instead of putting all their eggs in one basket. [=instead of investing all their money in one company or one kind of company]
the goose that lays the golden egg —see 1goose
walk on eggs —see 1walk
—see also nest egg