Egg

Egg Egg ([e^]g), n. [OE., fr. Icel. egg; akin to AS. [ae]g (whence OE. ey), Sw. ["a]gg, Dan. [ae]g, G. & D. ei, and prob. to OSlav. aje, jaje, L. ovum, Gr. 'w,o`n, 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. [1913 Webster]

2. (Biol.) A simple cell, from the development of which the young of animals are formed; ovum; germ cell. [1913 Webster]

3. Anything resembling an egg in form. [1913 Webster]

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. [1913 Webster]

{Egg and anchor} (Arch.), see {egg-and-dart} in the vocabulary, below; -- 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} (Zo["o]l.), any mite which devours the eggs of insects, as {Nothrus ovivorus}, which destroys those of the canker worm.

{Egg parasite} (Zo["o]l.), any small hymenopterous insect, which, in the larval stage, lives within the eggs of other insects. Many genera and species are known. [1913 Webster]