Addling
//ˈæ.də.lɪŋ// noun, verb
noun, verb ·Rare ·Advanced level
Definitions
Noun
- 1 Alternative form of addlings (earnings). alt-of, alternative, uncountable
- 2 The act of causing fertilised eggs to lose viability, by killing the developing embryo within through shaking, piercing, freezing or oiling, without breaking the shell or other outer layer. uncountable
"The familiar hatchery practice of agitating the eggs after they are eyed, called shocking or addling, ruptures the yolk membranes of the ever-tender sterile eggs. The result is a precipitation of the globulin and a whitening of the egg."
Verb
- 1 present participle and gerund of addle. form-of, gerund, participle, present
Example
More examples"The familiar hatchery practice of agitating the eggs after they are eyed, called shocking or addling, ruptures the yolk membranes of the ever-tender sterile eggs. The result is a precipitation of the globulin and a whitening of the egg."
Etymology
From addle + -ing.
More for "addling"
Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.