Illustration of egg
- 1 shell
- 2 outer shell membrane
- 3 inner shell membrane
- 4 air space
- 5 chalaza
- 6 albumen or white layers
- 7 yolk layers
- 8 blastodisc
- 9 vitelline membrane
often attributive
1
a
: the hard-shelled reproductive body produced by a bird and especially by the common domestic chicken
also
: its contents used as food
b
: an animal reproductive body consisting of an ovum together with its nutritive and protective envelopes and having the capacity to develop into a new individual capable of independent existence
c
: ovum
2
: something resembling an egg
eggless
adjective
Examples of egg in a Sentence
Noun
The egg will hatch about 10 days after it is laid.
the smell of rotten eggs
I bought a carton of eggs.
a batter made from flour and egg
The egg is fertilized by the sperm.
Verb (1)
though exhausted, I was egged on by spectators to finish the marathon
Recent Examples on the Web
Danielle Chemtob, Forbes, 4 Mar. 2025
Laura Avila doesn’t eat eggs herself but promised to whip up a batch of deviled eggs for her granddaughter’s birthday party over the weekend.
—Ryan Fonseca, Los Angeles Times, 4 Mar. 2025
Glenn Thrush, New York Times, 21 Jan. 2025
Geyser repeatedly stabbed Leutner as Weier egged her on, prosecutors have said.
—David K. Li, NBC News, 10 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for egg
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Noun
Be optimistic about your talents and celebrate milestones, and shift away from self-judgement toward embracing your self-worth.
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At least two of the eggs of a celebrity bald eagle couple in Big Bear Valley in California are showing signs of hatching.
—Danielle Chemtob, Forbes, 4 Mar. 2025
Laura Avila doesn’t eat eggs herself but promised to whip up a batch of deviled eggs for her granddaughter’s birthday party over the weekend.
—Ryan Fonseca, Los Angeles Times, 4 Mar. 2025
Verb
The effort to prosecute the violent mob that ransacked the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, and the leaders of far-right groups who egged them on, represented the biggest and most logistically complex investigation in the history of the Justice Department.
—Glenn Thrush, New York Times, 21 Jan. 2025
Geyser repeatedly stabbed Leutner as Weier egged her on, prosecutors have said.
—David K. Li, NBC News, 10 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for egg
Cite this Entry
“Egg.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/egg. Accessed 15 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
egg
2 of 2 noun1
a
: a hard-shelled reproductive body produced by a bird and especially by domestic poultry
also
: its contents used as food
b
: a reproductive body produced by an animal and consisting of an ovum with its food-containing and protecting envelopes and being capable of development into a new individual
c
: a germ cell produced by a female
called also ovum
2
: something shaped like an egg
darning egg
Etymology
Verb
Old Norse eggja "to incite"
Noun
Middle English egge "egg," from early Norse egg (same meaning)
Medical Definition
egg
noun1
: the hard-shelled reproductive body produced by a bird and especially by the common domestic chicken (Gallus gallus)
2
: an animal reproductive body consisting of an ovum together with its nutritive and protective envelopes and having the capacity to develop into a new individual capable of independent existence
3
: ovum
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