Egg (?), n. [OE., fr. Icel. egg; akin to AS. aeg (whence OE. ey), Sw. agg, Dan. aeg, G. & D. ei, and prob. to OSlav. aje, jaje, L. ovum, Gr. , Ir. ugh, Gael. ubh, and perh. to L. avis bird. Cf. Oval.]
1. Popularly
The oval or roundish body laid by domestic poultry and other birds, tortoises, etc. It consists of a yolk, usually surrounded by the "white" or albumen, and inclosed in a shell or strong membrane.
2. Biol.
A simple cell, from the development of which the young of animals are formed; ovum; germ cell.
3.
Anything resembling an egg in form.
Egg is used adjectively, or as the first part of self-explaining compounds; as, egg beater or egg-beater, egg case, egg ladle, egg-shaped, etc.
Egg and anchor Arch., an egg-shaped ornament, alternating with another in the form of a dart, used to enrich the ovolo; -- called also egg and dart, and egg and tongue. See Anchor, n., 5. Ogilvie. -- Egg cleavage Biol., a process of cleavage or segmentation, by which the egg undergoes endogenous division with formation of a mass of nearly similar cells, from the growth and differentiation of which the new organism is ultimately formed. See Segmentation of the ovum, under Segmentation. -- Egg development Biol., the process of the development of an egg, by which the embryo is formed. -- Egg mite Zool., any mite which devours the eggs of insects, as Nothrus ovivorus, which destroys those of the canker worm. -- Egg parasite Zool., any small hymenopterous insect, which, in the larval stage, lives within the eggs of other insects. Many genera and species are known.
© Webster 1913.
Egg, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Egged (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Egging (?).] [OE. eggen, Icel. eggja, fr. egg edge. . See Edge.]
To urge on; to instigate; to incite
Adam and Eve he egged to ill.
Piers Plowman.
[She] did egg him on to tell
How fair she was.
Warner.
© Webster 1913.