# egg

/ˈɛɡ/ (US) · /ˈɛɡ/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/egg
Updated: 2026-06-19

## Senses

### 1. food or animal product

noun · CEFR A1

a round or oval object produced by a bird, especially a chicken, used as food.

For teachers: the hard-shelled reproductive body produced by birds, particularly the domestic chicken, used as a dietary staple.

- She fried two eggs and served them with toast for breakfast.
- The recipe requires three large eggs at room temperature to ensure the cake batter emulsifies correctly.

### 2. biology

noun · CEFR B2

the female cell that can join with a male cell to create a baby or young animal.

For teachers: the female gamete or ovum of an animal, which can be fertilised by a male gamete to form a zygote.

- The fish swims to the bottom of the river to lay its eggs.
- In many species, the female produces a limited number of eggs during her reproductive cycle compared to the vast quantity of sperm produced by the male.

### 3. a person

noun · CEFR B2 · Informal

a person of a particular type, often used with an adjective like 'good' or 'bad'.

For teachers: a person characterized by a specific quality, typically used in informal idiomatic expressions.

- My grandfather was a good egg who always helped his neighbours.
- Despite his gruff exterior, the old professor was known among the faculty as a thoroughly good egg.

### 4. transgender context

noun · CEFR C1 · Slang

a person who has not yet realised they are transgender.

For teachers: a person who has not yet come to terms with or realised their transgender identity.

- He looked back at old photos and realised he had been an egg for years.
- The online community provides a supportive space for those who are still in the egg stage of their transition.

### 5. to encourage

verb · CEFR B2

to strongly encourage or push someone to do something, often something silly or dangerous.

For teachers: to incite, instigate, or urge someone into action, typically used with the particle 'on'.

- His friends started to egg him on to jump into the cold lake.
- The crowd began to egg the protesters on, creating a volatile atmosphere that the police struggled to contain.

Usage: almost always used as the phrasal verb 'egg on'

### 6. to throw eggs at

verb · CEFR B2 · Informal

to throw raw eggs at a person or a building as a joke or a protest.

For teachers: to pelt a person, vehicle, or structure with raw eggs as an act of vandalism or protest.

- Some teenagers decided to egg the school on Halloween night.
- The politician's car was egged by a group of angry demonstrators during his visit to the rural district.

## Examples

- I usually have a boiled egg for breakfast.
- The recipe requires you to whisk three large eggs until the mixture becomes light and fluffy.
- While most reptiles lay leathery eggs in hidden nests, many avian species produce calcified shells with intricate patterns designed to camouflage them from potential predators.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.