What does "egg" mean?

Egg: (Biol.) A simple cell, from the development of which the young of animals are formed; ovum; germ cell.

Additional senses

  1. 2.Anything resembling an egg in form. Note: 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 (Zoöl.), any mite which devours the eggs of insects, as Nothrus ovivorus, which destroys those of the canker worm. -- Egg parasite (Zoöl.), any small hymenopterous insect, which, in the larval stage, lives within the eggs of other insects. Many genera and species are known.
  2. 3.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.

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