yolk

• POS: Noun

CIDE DICTIONARY

yolk, n. [OE. yolke, yelke, \'f4olke, \'f4elke, AS. geoloca, geoleca, fr. geolu yellow. See Yellow.].

•  The yellow part of an egg; the vitellus.  [1913 Webster]
•  An oily secretion which naturally covers the wool of sheep.  [1913 Webster]

Yolk cord (Zoöl.), a slender cord or duct which connects the yolk glands with the egg chambers in certain insects, as in the aphids. -- Yolk gland (Zoöl.), a special organ which secretes the yolk of the eggs in many turbellarians, and in some other invertebrates. See Illust. of Hermaphrodite in Appendix. -- Yolk sack (Anat.), the umbilical vesicle. See under Unbilical.

OXFORD DICTIONARY

yolk, n.
1 the yellow internal part of an egg that nourishes the young before it hatches.
2 Biol. the corresponding part of any animal ovum.

Idiom

yolk-bag (or -sac) a membrane enclosing the yolk of an egg.

Derivative

yolked adj. (also in comb.). yolkless adj. yolky adj.

yolk, n. = SUINT.

Etymology

OE eowoca (unrecorded)

ROGET THESAURUS

yolk

Yellowness

N yellowness, yellow, or, gamboge, cadmium-yellow, chrome-yellow, Indian-yellow king's-yellow, lemonyellow, orpiment, yellow ocher, Claude tint, aureolin, xanthein, xanthin, zaofulvin, crocus, saffron, topaz, xanthite, yolk, jaundice, London fog, yellowness, icterus, xantho- cyanopia, xanthopsia, yellow, aureate, golden, flavous, citrine, fallow, fulvous, fulvid, sallow, luteous, tawny, creamy, sandy, xanthic, xanthous, jaundiced, auricomous, gold-colored, citron-colored, saffron-colored, lemon-colored, lemon yellow, sulphur-colored, amber-colored, straw-colored, primrose- colored, creamcolored, xanthocarpous, xanthochroid, xanthopous, yellow as a quince, yellow as a guinea, yellow as a crow's foot, warm, advancing.