Egg \Egg\ ([e^]g), n. [OE., fr. Icel. egg; akin to AS. [ae]g
(whence OE. ey), Sw. [aum]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.
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2. (Biol.) A simple cell, from the development of which the
young of animals are formed; ovum; germ cell.
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3. Anything resembling an egg in form.
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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.
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{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.
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