Egg \Egg\ ([e^]g), n. [OE., fr. Icel. egg; akin to AS. [ae]g
   (whence OE. ey), Sw. [aum]gg, Dan. [ae]g, 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.
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   2. (Biol.) A simple cell, from the development of which the
      young of animals are formed; ovum; germ cell.
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   3. Anything resembling an egg in form.
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   Note: 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.
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   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 (Zo["o]l.), any mite which devours the eggs of
      insects, as Nothrus ovivorus, which destroys those of
      the canker worm.

   Egg parasite (Zo["o]l.), any small hymenopterous insect,
      which, in the larval stage, lives within the eggs of other
      insects. Many genera and species are known.
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