English Reference
noun

yolk

n.
US /ˈjoʊk/ UK /jˈəʊk/ yolk UK spelling yolks

  1. 01 B1 Intermediate Cooking

    the yellow part in the center of an egg.

    the yellow, spherical part of an egg that contains nutrients for a developing embryo.

    Simple

    He carefully separated the egg yolk from the white to make the cake.

    In context

    The recipe requires three large yolks beaten until pale, which provides the custard with its characteristic richness and golden hue.

    whitealbumen
  2. 02 C2 Proficiency Technical

    the natural oil or grease found in a sheep's wool.

    the natural oily secretion, also known as lanolin, found in the fleece of sheep.

    Simple

    Raw wool feels sticky because it is covered in natural yolk.

    In context

    Before the wool can be spun into fine yarn, the raw fleece must be scoured to remove the heavy accumulation of yolk and dirt.

    lanolingrease

From Middle English yolke, yelke, ȝolke, ȝelke, from Old English ġeolca, ġeoloca, ġioleca (“the yellow part, yolk”), from ġeolu (“yellow”).

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This entry
Origin Old English ġeolca
Level B1 · Intermediate
Frequency Occasional
Updated