egg1
• noun 1 an oval or round object laid by a female bird, reptile, fish, or invertebrate and containing an ovum which if fertilized can develop into a new organism. 2 an infertile egg of the domestic hen, used for food. 3 Biology the female reproductive cell in animals and plants; an ovum. 4 informal, dated a person of a specified kind: you’re a good egg. — PHRASES don’t put all your eggs in one basket proverb don’t risk everything on the success of one venture. kill the goose that lays the golden eggs destroy a reliable and valuable source of income. with allusion to one of Aesop’s fables. with egg on one’s face informal appearing foolish or ridiculous. — DERIVATIVES eggy adjective. — ORIGIN Old English.
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