Definition

1. Noun:
   • The eggs or egg-laden ovary of a fish: This refers to the mass of eggs found inside a female fish, often used as food.
   • The egg mass or spawn of certain crustaceans: This meaning extends to the eggs of shellfish like lobsters or crabs.
   • The eggs of female fish; fish eggs or egg-filled ovary; having a grainy texture: This definition emphasizes the culinary texture and appearance of the eggs.

Examples of Usage

• Noun:
  • Salmon roe is a delicacy often served with sushi. (The eggs from salmon are a prized food.)
  • The chef prepared a sauce using lobster roe. (The chef used the egg mass from a lobster.)
  • The fish's roe was bright orange and grainy. (The fish's egg mass had a specific color and texture.)

Advanced Usage

• "Hard roe": Specifically refers to the ripe ovaries (eggs) of a female fish.
  • The recipe calls for hard roe from a cod.
• "Soft roe": Refers to the milt or sperm of a male fish. (Note: This is a related but distinct term from the primary definition of 'roe' as fish eggs.)
  • Soft roe is sometimes pan-fried and served on toast.

Variants and Related Words

• Roe deer (n): A completely different word, referring to a small, graceful species of deer found in Europe and Asia.
  • A roe deer bounded across the forest path.

Synonyms

• Caviar: Specifically refers to salt-cured roe from sturgeon fish, often considered a luxury product.
• Spawn: A more general biological term for the eggs of fish, amphibians, or mollusks.
• Eggs: The general term, but "roe" is specific to aquatic animals.

Related Phrases

• "Roe sack": The membrane or sac containing the roe.
  • She carefully removed the roe sack from the fish.
• "Roe yield": The amount of roe obtained from a fish.
  • The roe yield from this season's herring catch was high.

Noun

1. the eggs or egg-laden ovary of a fish
2. the egg mass or spawn of certain crustaceans such as the lobster
3. eggs of female fish
4. fish eggs or egg-filled ovary; having a grainy texture