egg tooth

egg tooth
noun
: a hard sharp prominence on the tip of the beak or nose of embryo birds and oviparous reptiles with which they break through the eggshell; also : an analogous chitinous prominence on the head of an insect

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a calcareous prominence at the tip of the beak or upper jaw of an embryonic bird or reptile, used to break through the eggshell at hatching.
[1890-95]

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egg tooth noun
A hard point on the beak by which an unhatched bird or reptile breaks the eggshell
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Main Entry: ↑egg

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egg tooth,
a hard, toothlike projection developing in the jaws of embryo birds, chicks, snakes, and other oviparous animals, that serves to cut the egg membrane and shell at hatching and then drops off.

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n. a hard white protuberance on the beak or jaw of an embryo bird or reptile that is used for breaking out of the shell and is later lost

Useful english dictionary. 2012.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • egg tooth — n. a tooth like structure on the nose or beak of young reptiles and birds used to break the egg membrane or shell at the time of hatching …   English World dictionary

  • egg tooth — egg′ tooth n. zool. a calcareous prominence at the tip of the beak or upper jaw of an embryonic bird or reptile, used to break through the eggshell at hatching • Etymology: 1890–95 …   From formal English to slang

  • Egg tooth — In some egg laying animals, the egg tooth is a small, sharp, cranial protuberance used by offspring to break or tear through the egg s surface during hatching. It is present in most birds and reptiles, and similar structures exist in monotremes,… …   Wikipedia

  • egg tooth — a calcareous prominence at the tip of the beak or upper jaw of an embryonic bird or reptile, used to break through the eggshell at hatching. [1890 95] * * * ▪ anatomy       tooth or toothlike structure used by the young of many egg laying species …   Universalium

  • egg-tooth — see egg burster …   Dictionary of invertebrate zoology

  • egg tooth — noun Date: 1893 a hard sharp prominence on the beak of an unhatched bird or the nose of an unhatched reptile that is used to break through the eggshell …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • egg tooth — noun A small, sharp, cranial protuberance used by offspring to break or tear through the eggs surface during hatching …   Wiktionary

  • egg tooth — noun a hard white protuberance on the beak or jaw of an embryo bird or reptile, used for breaking out of the shell …   English new terms dictionary

  • egg tooth — /ˈɛg tuθ/ (say eg toohth) noun a calcareous point on the tip of the beak or upper jaw, by which an unhatched bird or reptile breaks through the eggshell on hatching …  

  • Egg (biology) — Bird eggs and others (click on image for key) …   Wikipedia

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