A reproductive structure produced by female animals, typically containing a developing embryo enclosed in a protective shell. Also used metaphorically for the beginning or origin of something.
From Old Norse 'egg', replacing Old English 'æg'. The word is related to German 'Ei' and Dutch 'ei', all from Proto-Germanic 'ajjam', ultimately from Proto-Indo-European root meaning 'bird'.
The chicken egg is one of nature's most perfect packages—its shape distributes pressure so efficiently that it can support remarkable weight when force is applied evenly. The age-old riddle 'which came first, the chicken or the egg?' has a biological answer: eggs existed millions of years before chickens evolved.
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