n. [ OE., fr. Icel. egg; akin to AS. æg (whence OE. ey), Sw. ägg, Dan. æg, 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 ]

☞ 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 (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. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Egged p. pr. & vb. n. Egging ] [ OE. eggen, Icel. eggja, fr. egg edge. &unr_;&unr_;. See Edge. ] To urge on; to instigate; to incite&unr_; [ 1913 Webster ]

Adam and Eve he egged to ill. Piers Plowman. [ 1913 Webster ]

[ She ] did egg him on to tell
How fair she was. Warner. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. same as egg-and-dart.
Syn. -- egg-and-dart, egg-and-tongue. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. a decorative ovolo molding, having a series of egg-shaped figures alternating with another shape in the form of a dart or anchor. Also used attributively; as, an egg-and-dart molding; an egg-and-dart design. Called also egg and dart, and egg and tongue
Syn. -- egg-and-anchor, egg and anchor, egg-and-tongue, egg and tongue. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. same as egg-and-dart.
Syn. -- egg-and-anchor, egg-and-dart. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. [ Etymol. uncertain. ] (Zoöl.) Any bombycid moth of the genera Eriogaster and Lasiocampa; as, the oak eggar (L. roboris) of Europe. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. a small device having one or usually two blades, each having several stiff oval wires at the tip. The blades are swirled or rotated for beating eggs or whipping cream. The electrical variety typically have two such blades, which are arranged so that the tips of the blades interlace while rotating.
Syn. -- eggwhisk. [ WordNet 1.5 +PJC ]

n. (Zoöl.) A species of tern, esp. the sooty tern (Sterna fuliginosa) of the West Indies. In the Bahama Islands the name is applied to the tropic bird, Phaëthon flavirostris. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A cup used for holding an egg, at table. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Egg, v. t. + -ment. ] Instigation; incitement. [ Obs. ] Chaucer. [ 1913 Webster ]