egg
Noun:
- A reproductive body produced by female birds, reptiles, fish, and some other animals, containing a developing embryo and a food supply, and typically having a hard or leathery shell. This is the most common biological definition.
- The oval or round object laid by a hen or other bird, often used as food. This is the primary culinary definition.
- (Informal, vulgar) A testicle. This is a slang usage, often in the plural form "eggs."
Verb:
- To coat or mix with beaten egg. This is a cooking technique.
- To throw eggs at someone or something as an act of protest or ridicule.
Noun:
- The bird built a nest to protect its eggs. (The reproductive body of a bird.)
- I had two boiled eggs for breakfast. (The food item from a hen.)
- (Slang) He was hit in the eggs during the game. (Referring to testicles.)
Verb:
- Before frying, you should egg the cutlets. (To coat with egg.)
- Protesters egged the politician's car. (To throw eggs at.)
"To egg someone on": To urge or encourage someone to do something, often something foolish or risky.
- His friends egged him on to jump into the cold lake.
"A bad egg": (Idiomatic) A person who is dishonest or corrupt.
- Be careful doing business with him; he's a bad egg.
"A good egg": (Idiomatic, informal) A kind, dependable, or likable person.
- She's always willing to help; she's a real good egg.
"To put all your eggs in one basket": (Idiomatic) To risk everything on a single venture or idea.
- Investing all your money in one stock is like putting all your eggs in one basket.
"To have egg on one's face": (Idiomatic) To be embarrassed or look foolish because of an obvious mistake.
- After his prediction was completely wrong, he had egg on his face.
Egg-shaped (adj): Having an oval shape similar to that of an egg.
- The sculpture was a smooth, egg-shaped form.
Eggshell (n): The hard, brittle outer covering of an egg.
- She painted the room an eggshell white.
Eggbeater (n): A kitchen tool for beating eggs.
- Eggplant (n): A plant with a large, purple, egg-shaped fruit. (Note: This is a compound word listed here as a related term, not as a definition of "egg" itself.)
- Noun (food): Ovum (in biological contexts).
- Verb (coat): Glaze, brush with egg.
- Verb (throw eggs at): Pelt.
- Egg on: (As covered in Advanced Usage) To encourage or incite.
- He didn't want to argue, but his pride egged him on.
As sure as eggs is eggs: (Old-fashioned) Used to emphasize that something is definitely true or will certainly happen.
- If you don't study, you'll fail the exam, as sure as eggs is eggs.
Don't teach your grandmother to suck eggs: Used to tell someone not to give advice to a person who is more experienced.
- Telling a chef how to chop onions is like teaching your grandmother to suck eggs.
To kill the goose that lays the golden egg: To destroy a reliable source of profit or advantage through greed or shortsightedness.
- Raising prices too high might kill the goose that lays the golden egg and drive away all our customers.
- one of the two male reproductive glands that produce spermatozoa and secrete androgens
- she kicked him in the balls and got away
- oval reproductive body of a fowl (especially a hen) used as food
- animal reproductive body consisting of an ovum or embryo together with nutritive and protective envelopes; especially the thin-shelled reproductive body laid by e.g. female birds
- coat with beaten egg
- egg a schnitzel
- throw eggs at