Library / English Dictionary

EGG

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

 I. (noun) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

Animal reproductive body consisting of an ovum or embryo together with nutritive and protective envelopes; especially the thin-shelled reproductive body laid by e.g. female birds

Classified under:

Nouns denoting animals

Hypernyms ("egg" is a kind of...):

egg cell; ovum (the female reproductive cell; the female gamete)

Meronyms (parts of "egg"):

chalaza (one of two spiral bands of tissue connecting the egg yolk to the enclosing membrane at either end of the shell)

vitellus; yolk (nutritive material of an ovum stored for the nutrition of an embryo (especially the yellow mass of a bird or reptile egg))

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "egg"):

nit (egg or young of an insect parasitic on mammals especially a sucking louse; often attached to a hair or item of clothing)

spawn (the mass of eggs deposited by fish or amphibians or molluscs)

roe (the eggs or egg-laden ovary of a fish)

silkworm seed (eggs of a silkworm)

roe (eggs of female fish)

Sense 2

Meaning:

One of the two male reproductive glands that produce spermatozoa and secrete androgens

Example:

she kicked him in the balls and got away

Synonyms:

ball; ballock; bollock; egg; nut; orchis; testicle; testis

Classified under:

Nouns denoting body parts

Hypernyms ("egg" is a kind of...):

male reproductive gland (the reproductive organs of a man)

gonad; sex gland (a gland in which gametes (sex cells) are produced)

Meronyms (parts of "egg"):

spermatic cord (a structure resembling a cord that suspends the testis within the scrotum and contains the vas deferens and other vessels and nerves)

ductus deferens; vas deferens (a duct that carries spermatozoa from the epididymis to the ejaculatory duct)

rete testis (network of tubules carrying sperm from the seminiferous tubules to the vasa efferentia)

epididymis (a convoluted tubule in each testis; carries sperm to vas deferens)

arteria testicularis; internal spermatic artery; testicular artery (a branch of the aorta supplying the testicles)

testicular vein; vena testicularis (a vein from the testicles)

seminiferous tubule (any of the numerous long convoluted tubules in the testis which are the sites where spermatozoa mature)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "egg"):

cobblers (a man's testicles (from Cockney rhyming slang: cobbler's awl rhymes with ball))

undescended testicle; undescended testis (a testis that fails to move into the scrotum as the male fetus develops)

Holonyms ("egg" is a part of...):

male reproductive system (the reproductive system of males)

family jewels; male genital organ; male genitalia; male genitals (external male sex organs)

Sense 3

Meaning:

Oval reproductive body of a fowl (especially a hen) used as food

Synonyms:

egg; eggs

Classified under:

Nouns denoting foods and drinks

Hypernyms ("egg" is a kind of...):

food product; foodstuff (a substance that can be used or prepared for use as food)

Meronyms (parts of "egg"):

albumen; egg white; ovalbumin; white (the white part of an egg; the nutritive and protective gelatinous substance surrounding the yolk consisting mainly of albumin dissolved in water)

egg yolk; yolk (the yellow spherical part of an egg that is surrounded by the albumen)

eggshell; shell (the exterior covering of a bird's egg)

Meronyms (substance of "egg"):

protein (any of a large group of nitrogenous organic compounds that are essential constituents of living cells; consist of polymers of amino acids; essential in the diet of animals for growth and for repair of tissues; can be obtained from meat and eggs and milk and legumes)

Derivation:

egg (coat with beaten egg)

egg (throw eggs at)

 II. (verb) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

Coat with beaten egg

Example:

egg a schnitzel

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Hypernyms (to "egg" is one way to...):

coat; surface (put a coat on; cover the surface of; furnish with a surface)

Domain category:

cookery; cooking; preparation (the act of preparing something (as food) by the application of heat)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Derivation:

egg (oval reproductive body of a fowl (especially a hen) used as food)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Throw eggs at

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Hypernyms (to "egg" is one way to...):

bombard; pelt (cast, hurl, or throw repeatedly with some missile)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s somebody

Derivation:

egg (oval reproductive body of a fowl (especially a hen) used as food)

Credits

 Context examples: 

This allele, which encodes CD9 antigen protein, plays a role in platelet degranulation, sperm-egg fusion and cell adhesion.

(CD9 wt Allele, NCI Thesaurus)

This protein is involved in both sperm-egg fusion and platelet degranulation.

(CD9 Antigen, NCI Thesaurus)

A mixture of neutral lipids (70%), phosphatidylcholine (20%) and phosphatidylethanolamine (10%) extracted from egg yolk.

(AL721, NCI Thesaurus)

Adhesions can sometimes cause infertility in women by preventing fertilized eggs from reaching the uterus.

(Adhesions, NIH: National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases)

The new study, however, adjusted for many of these factors, and still found that eggs may be risky for health.

(Eggs No Longer Part of a Healthy Diet?, The Titi Tudorancea Bulletin)

"The trick is we choose the right chemicals to turn on these genes we transfer into the egg," Mu-ming Poo told the press.

(Healthy cloned monkeys born in Shanghai, Wikinews)

Dairy products, eggs and white meat were very expensive in most low-income and lower middle–income countries, while most fruit and vegetables were relatively expensive in Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa.

(High cost of healthy food to blame for malnutrition, SciDev.Net)

However, raising the extra young comes at a great cost to females, so females that lay only three eggs have an advantage over those laying four, and these females become increasingly common.

(For species that mate for life, bonding behaviors provide advantages, National Science Foundation)

Researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine enrolled 48 participants aged 4 to 15 years with confirmed allergy to multiple foods, including milk, egg, wheat, soy, sesame seeds, peanut or tree nuts.

(Omalizumab improves efficacy of oral immunotherapy for multiple food allergies, National Institutes of Health)

In this new finding, in addition to the surprising discovery of over 300 eggs, an unprecedented 16 embryos with preserved eggs in three dimensions were unearthed.

(Brazil and China scientists unearth pterosaur eggs with preserved embryos, Agência Brasil)