a wind egg
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
An egg without a shell, or an unfertilized one; from the old superstition that the hen that lays it was impregnated, like the "Thracian mares," by the wind.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “a wind egg” mean?
An egg without a shell, or an unfertilized one; from the old superstition that the hen that lays it was impregnated, like the "Thracian mares," by the wind.
Is “a wind egg” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.