addle egg
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
An egg which has no germ ; also one in which the chick has died. Hence, fig., addle-headed, addle-pate, empty-headed. As an addle-egg produces no living bird so an addle-pate lacks brains.
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 “addle egg” mean?
An egg which has no germ ; also one in which the chick has died. Hence, fig., addle-headed, addle-pate, empty-headed. As an addle-egg produces no living bird so an addle-pate lacks brains.
Is “addle egg” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.