egg

EG/ɛɡ/

Pluraleggs

23 meanings of egg

1
foodnouncountable
A round food with a shell, laid by hens and other birds and eaten cooked or used in cooking.
Like a little food package sealed inside a shell.
We fried two eggs for breakfast this morning.
Add one egg to the flour and mix it well.
UsageSay two eggs, but egg on your shirt for a bit of egg.
2
shell with youngnouncountable or uncountable
A round or oval thing laid by birds, insects and reptiles, where a baby animal can grow inside.
Like a safe container that holds a baby animal until it is ready to come out.
A robin's egg is small and pale blue.
The snake buried its eggs in the warm sand.
UsageBirds lay eggs. Baby birds hatch from them.
3
nouncountable or uncountable
The female sex cell of an animal or plant, which can become a new living thing after joining a male cell.
Like one of two halves that must join with a sperm cell before new life can begin.
When a sperm joins an egg, a new life can begin.
Doctors collected several eggs for the fertility treatment.
Similarovum
Note
4
oval objectnouncountable
An object that has the rounded, oval shape of an egg.
The designer made a smooth wooden egg as a paperweight.
The kids searched the garden for chocolate eggs on Easter morning.
Similarovoid, oval

Less common meanings

5
urge onverbtransitive
To push someone to do something, often by cheering them on or daring them.
Like a friend who keeps saying 'go on, do it!' until you finally do.
His friends egged him on until he jumped into the cold lake.
Don't let them egg you on into a pointless fight.
UsageSay egg someone on.
Similarprovoke, tempt
Oppositediscourage, dissuade, deter, restrain
6
throw atverbtransitive
To throw eggs at someone or something, often as a prank or insult.
Some kids egged the old house on Halloween night.
Protesters threatened to egg the politician's car.
7
head bumpnouncountable or uncountable
A large bump on the head caused by being hit or knocked.
Like a small ball pushing up under the skin.
He had a huge egg on his forehead after the fall.
The ball hit her head and left a real egg.
Similarbump, lump, swelling, knot
8
zero scorenouncountable or uncountable
A score of zero, especially in a game or sport.
Similarduck, zero, nought
Note
9
coat foodverbtransitive
To cover or dip a piece of food in beaten egg before cooking it.
Like dipping a brush in paint before you start painting.
Egg the chicken pieces, then roll them in breadcrumbs.
She eggs each slice before frying it in oil.
Note
10
fellownoundatedfigurativelycountable or uncountable
A person or fellow, especially a man.
Like calling someone a 'good guy' or a 'nice person.'
He's a good egg who always helps his neighbors.
"She's a tough egg." / "She must be, if she slung your brother Joe out."
1937, P[elham] G[renville] Wodehouse, Summer MoonshineHere, egg means a person of a certain kind.
UsageMostly a good egg or a bad egg.
Similarfellow, chap, sort, guy
11
unaware trans personnounfigurativelycountable or uncountable
A slang word for a person who has not yet understood that they are transgender, or for that stage.
Like a baby bird still inside its shell, not yet ready to come out.
Looking back at old photos, she joked that she had been an egg for years.
He didn't know he was an egg until a friend gently asked him about it.
Note
12
Twitter usernounderogatorydatedfigurativelycountable or uncountable
On Twitter, a user who kept the old egg-shaped default profile picture, seen as new or as a troll.
Half the replies came from eggs with no followers and no posts.
Don't waste time arguing with some egg who joined yesterday.
Note
13
gather (wild birds)verbintransitive
To go out and gather the eggs of wild birds, usually from their nests.
As boys, they used to go egging on the cliffs every spring.
He spent his childhood egging in the marshes near home.
UsageUsually go egging.
14
bombnoundatedcountable or uncountable
A bomb or explosive mine, especially one dropped from an aircraft.
Like a bird dropping eggs from the sky, but each one explodes.
The bomber crew dropped their eggs over the harbor before dawn.
During the air raid, an egg landed two streets away and shook every window in the house.
Similarbomb, mine
Note
15
foolish personnounderogatoryfigurativelyNew Zealandcountable or uncountable
A foolish or annoying person that others find unpleasant.
Stop being such an egg and apologize to her.
That egg ruined the whole party with his rude jokes.
Similaridiot, fool, jerk, twit, prat
16
young personnounderogatoryobsoletefigurativelycountable or uncountable
A young or inexperienced person, especially a child.
VVhat you Egge? / Yong fry of Treachery?
c. 1606, William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Macbeth”Here, Egge means a young child or kid.
Note
17
seed of troublenounarchaicfigurativelycountable or uncountable
Something that holds a bad thing at its very start, before it grows.
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, Roger L’Estrange, “The State of the City of London, in the Late Rebellion.”Here, Egg means the earliest stage of something harmful, before it can grow.
Note
18
East Asia fannounderogatoryethnicoffensiveslurrarefigurativelycountable or uncountable
A white person who others think is far too obsessed with East Asia.
19
conceive rashlyverbvulgardialectalEnglandintransitive
To make a baby, especially in a careless or reckless way.
Note
20
verb
To squash a round tube or hole into an oval shape, by accident or on purpose.
21
noun
An oval, rounded shape carved in a repeating row, often with pointed shapes between, used to decorate buildings.
22
noun
In computing, a small piece of data put into a program's memory for certain attack code to find and use.
23
noun
In a grid game like the Game of Life, a small failed bit that destroys the moving shape.

Practice

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Origins

Meanings 1–4, 6–19

The word 'egg' came into English from Old Norse 'egg'. It goes back to an old Germanic word for egg, and even further to an ancient root that may be linked to the word for 'bird'.

Checked 31 Oct 2026 · 3 facts

English egg was borrowed from Old Norse egg. en.wiktionary.org
The word descends from an older Germanic egg word. en.wiktionary.org
Its deeper ancestor may be connected with the word for bird. iecor.clld.org

Meaning 5

This 'egg' meaning 'to urge on' came from Old Norse 'eggja', 'to incite'. It is related to a word for 'edge', from an ancient root meaning 'sharp'.

Checked 31 Oct 2026 · 3 facts

The verb egg meaning to urge on derives from Old Norse eggja, meaning to incite. en.wiktionary.org
The verb is related to a word meaning edge. en.wiktionary.org
The word for edge ultimately derives from an ancient root meaning sharp. en.wiktionary.org