egg
egg — noun
1. an oval food from chickens or other birds; its firm outer covering is cracked op
an oval food from chickens or other birds; its firm outer covering is cracked open when people cook and eat it
Quinn cracked two eggs into the frying pan for breakfast before school.
crack + number + egg(s) for cooking
Maja boiled an egg and sliced it over her salad for lunch.
The recipe needs three large eggs and a cup of flour to make the cake.
Salma bought a dozen eggs at the farm stand to bake her mother a birthday cake.
Kevin put the hard-boiled egg in cold water so the shell came off easily.
2. the rounded container, often with a shell, that a female bird, reptile, insect,
the rounded container, often with a shell, that a female bird, reptile, insect, or fish produces, inside which a baby animal grows until it is ready to come out
The mother turtle laid her eggs in the sand and then returned to the sea.
lay eggs — of animals
Hyun watched the butterfly eggs on the leaf turn into tiny caterpillars over two weeks.
The zookeeper checked the temperature in the incubator where the snake eggs were kept warm.
Tariro explained how birds sit on eggs until the chicks hatch out.
- spawn
used specifically for fish, frogs, and other aquatic animals that lay many small eggs at once
用法筆記
Used for birds, reptiles, insects, fish, and amphibians. Most mammals do not lay eggs — their young develop inside the mother's body.
常見錯誤
3. a decorative or ornamental item that looks like a bird's egg, often made of choc
a decorative or ornamental item that looks like a bird's egg, often made of chocolate, wood, stone, or metal
The children decorated chocolate eggs with colourful wrappers for Easter.
chocolate eggs as Easter treat
Asher brought back a carved wooden egg from Japan and set it on his desk.
Sirin discovered a small jade egg in her grandmother's jewellery box among old brooches.
The museum shop sold tiny golden eggs for twenty dollars each as souvenirs.
- ornament
broader term; an egg-shaped object is a type of ornament
用法筆記
Often used for decorative items, especially chocolate eggs at Easter, or carved ornaments made from stone, metal, or wood.
常見錯誤
4. a tiny cell inside a female person or animal that can join with a sperm from a m
a tiny cell inside a female person or animal that can join with a sperm from a male to begin forming a baby
Ms. Okonkwo showed the class a diagram of how a woman releases one egg each month.
biological term — female reproductive cell
Dr. Antonia showed Imran how the egg meets a sperm cell under a microscope.
Sana showed her biology class how an egg travels through the fallopian tube after ovulation.
Dr. Gabriel explained to Tariq how a sperm cell enters an egg during fertilisation.
- sperm
the male reproductive cell that joins with the egg
用法筆記
Formal term in biology and medicine. In everyday conversation, people usually say 'egg' in the food sense (noun sense 1), not this biological sense.
常見錯誤
5. a way of describing someone's character, used in informal expressions where 'goo
a way of describing someone's character, used in informal expressions where 'good egg' means a trustworthy or kind person and 'bad egg' means an untrustworthy or unpleasant one
Lend him the money — he is a good egg and will pay you back.
good egg — trustworthy person
Everyone knew the new manager was a bad egg who could not be trusted.
bad egg — untrustworthy person
People call Mr. Santos a decent old egg because he always helps carry shopping bags upstairs.
Tanvi's classmates called her a good egg because she never let anyone down.
用法筆記
Always used with a modifier such as 'good', 'bad', 'decent', or 'old'. You cannot say 'He is an egg' to mean any person.
常見錯誤
6. a final result in ice hockey where neither team has managed to score any goals,
a final result in ice hockey where neither team has managed to score any goals, shown as zero to zero on the scoreboard
In the final ice hockey match, neither team scored and the game ended in an egg.
egg — zero-zero score in ice hockey
Fans left the stadium frustrated after the final whistle confirmed an egg on the scoreboard.
Both goalies played well, but neither team scored, and the match finished as an egg.
Fans joked that the scoreboard showed a big zero shaped like an egg after the boring ice hockey game.
用法筆記
Only used in ice hockey. Not used for other sports; a score of 0-0 in football or basketball is called a draw or a tie.
常見錯誤
egg — verb
1. to throw eggs at a person, building, or statue in order to show anger or disappr
to throw eggs at a person, building, or statue in order to show anger or disapproval
Protesters egged the politician's car during the rally outside city hall.
egg + [target] as protest
Some angry fans egged the referee's car after the controversial match ended.
Paloma got egged by a stranger while walking home late at night near the park.
The mayor's house was egged overnight by vandals who disliked the new law.
- pelt
to throw things at someone or something, can involve eggs or other objects
用法筆記
Often used in the passive voice ('get egged' / 'was egged'). Egging is a form of public protest or vandalism, not an act of celebration.
常見錯誤
2. to spread a thin layer of mixed raw egg onto the surface of food before cooking
to spread a thin layer of mixed raw egg onto the surface of food before cooking it, which helps other ingredients stick and gives the cooked food a shiny, brown finish
Before frying chicken tenders, the chef egged each piece and coated it with breadcrumbs.
egg + [ingredient] onto [food] for coating
Egg the pastry surface with a brush before putting it in the oven.
imperative: egg the surface — cooking instruction
Élise egged each pastry roll carefully so the crust would turn a nice golden colour.
Before baking the bread rolls, the baker egged the tops to make them shine.
- brush with egg
a clearer phrase meaning the same action
用法筆記
Common in recipes and cooking instructions. The beaten egg is usually applied with a brush. This sense is often used in the imperative ('egg the pastry').