egg
noun /eɡ/
/eɡ/
Idioms 
enlarge image
enlarge image[countable] a small oval object with a thin hard shell produced by a female bird and containing a young bird; a similar object (without a hard shell) produced by a female fish, insect, etc.- The female sits on the eggs until they hatch.
- The fish lay thousands of eggs at one time.
- crocodile eggs
Collocations The living worldThe living worldAnimals- animals mate/breed/reproduce/feed (on something)
- fish/amphibians swim/spawn (= lay eggs)
- birds fly/migrate/nest/sing
- insects crawl/fly/bite/sting
- insects/bees/locusts swarm
- bees collect/gather nectar/pollen
- spiders spin/weave a web
- snakes/lizards shed their skins
- bears/hedgehogs/frogs hibernate
- insect larvae grow/develop/pupate
- an egg/a chick/a larva hatches
- attract/find/choose a mate
- produce/release eggs/sperm
- lay/fertilize/incubate/hatch eggs
- inhabit a forest/a reef/the coast
- mark/enter/defend (a) territory
- stalk/hunt/capture/catch/kill prey
- trees/plants grow/bloom/blossom/flower
- a seed germinates/sprouts
- leaves/buds/roots/shoots appear/develop/form
- flower buds swell/open
- a fungus grows/spreads/colonizes something
- pollinate/fertilize a flower/plant
- produce/release/spread/disperse pollen/seeds/spores
- produce/bear fruit
- develop/grow/form roots/shoots/leaves
- provide/supply/absorb/extract/release nutrients
- perform/increase/reduce photosynthesis
- bacteria/microbes/viruses grow/spread/multiply
- bacteria/microbes live/thrive in/on something
- bacteria/microbes/viruses evolve/colonize something/cause disease
- bacteria break something down/convert something (into something)
- a virus enters/invades something/the body
- a virus mutates/evolves/replicates (itself)
- be infected with/contaminated with/exposed to a new strain of a virus/drug-resistant bacteria
- contain/carry/harbour bacteria/a virus
- kill/destroy/eliminate harmful/deadly bacteria
Extra ExamplesTopics Insects, worms, etc.a1, Fish and shellfisha1, Birdsa1- Many reptiles bury their eggs.
- She lays a clutch of four eggs on average.
- The males stay and guard the eggs.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- fresh
- bad
- rotten
- …
- clutch
- box
- carton
- …
- lay
- produce
- deposit
- …
- hatch
- break
- crack
- …
- shell
- white
- yolk
- …
- the white of an egg
- the yolk of an egg
- bacon and eggs
- …
- [countable, uncountable] a bird’s egg, especially one from a chicken, that is eaten as food
- a boiled egg
- bacon and eggs
- fried/poached/scrambled eggs
- Bind the mixture together with a little beaten egg.
- You've got some egg on your shirt.
- egg yolks/whites
- egg noodles
- hen's/duck/quail eggs
- a chocolate egg (= made from chocolate in the shape of an egg)
Extra ExamplesTopics Fooda1- Crack two eggs into the mixture.
- Separate the eggs, putting the whites to one side.
- We're just decorating eggs for the egg hunt.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- fresh
- bad
- rotten
- …
- clutch
- box
- carton
- …
- lay
- produce
- deposit
- …
- hatch
- break
- crack
- …
- shell
- white
- yolk
- …
- the white of an egg
- the yolk of an egg
- bacon and eggs
- …
- [countable] (in women and female animals) a cell that combines with a sperm to create a baby or young animal synonym ovum
- The male sperm fertilizes the female egg.
- an egg donor
- Many women conceive through the use of a donor egg.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- fertilized
- unfertilized
- donor
- …
- fertilize
- produce
- release
- …
- donor
- donation
- removal
- …
- the nucleus of an egg
see also garden egg, goose egg, nest egg
Word Originnoun Middle English (superseding earlier ey, from Old English ǣg): from Old Norse.
Idioms
a chicken-and-egg situation, problem, etc.
- a situation in which it is difficult to tell which one of two things was the cause of the other
the/a curate’s egg
- (British English) something that has some good parts and some bad ones
- Their investment plan shows the familiar curate's egg pattern of some bits doing well and others doing badly.
CultureThe phrase comes from a cartoon in the British magazine Punch in 1895, in which a nervous young curate is having breakfast with a bishop. The bishop says 'I'm afraid you've got a bad egg there' and the curate, not wanting to upset the bishop, replies, 'Oh no, my Lord! … Parts of it are excellent!’
a good/bad egg
- (old-fashioned, informal) a person who you know will behave well/badly
have/be left with egg on/all over your face
- (informal) to be made to look stupid
- They were left with egg on their faces when only ten people showed up.
kill the goose that lays the golden egg/eggs
- (saying) to destroy something that would make you rich, successful, etc.Topics Difficulty and failurec2
put all your eggs in one basket
- to rely on one particular course of action for success rather than giving yourself several different possibilities
- I’ve applied for several jobs. I don’t want to put all my eggs in one basket.
(as) sure as eggs is eggs
- (old-fashioned, British English, informal) used to say that something is definitely true
teach your grandmother to suck eggs
- (British English, informal) to tell or show somebody how to do something that they can already do well, and probably better than you can
you can’t make an omelette without breaking eggs
- (saying) you cannot achieve something important without causing a few small problemsTopics Successc2