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egg 1 (ĕg)
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n.
1.
a. A female gamete; an ovum. Also called egg cell.
b. The round or oval female reproductive body of various animals, including birds, reptiles, amphibians, fishes, and insects, consisting usually of an embryo surrounded by nutrient material and a protective covering.
c. The oval, thin-shelled reproductive body of a bird, especially that of a hen, used as food.
2. Something having the ovoid shape of an egg.
3. Slang A fellow; a person: He's a good egg.
tr.v. egged, egg·ing, eggs
1. To cover with beaten egg, as in cooking.
2. Slang To throw eggs at.
Idioms:
egg on (one's) face Informal
Embarrassment; humiliation: If you do that, you'll end up with egg on your face.
lay an egg Informal
To fail, especially in a public performance.
put/have all (one's) eggs in one basket Informal
To risk everything on a single venture.

[Middle English egge, bird's egg, from Old Norse egg; see awi- in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.]

eggless adj.
eggy adj.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.
 
egg 2 (ĕg)
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tr.v. egged, egg·ing, eggs
To encourage or incite to action. Used with on: The racing fans egged their favorites on.

[Middle English eggen, from Old Norse eggja; see ak- in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.]

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.
 

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

    Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

    Indo-European Roots

    Semitic Roots

    The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.