Roe
WordNet
noun
(1) The eggs or egg-laden ovary of a fish
(2) The egg mass or spawn of certain crustaceans such as the lobster
(3) Eggs of female fish
(4) Fish eggs or egg-filled ovary; having a grainy texture
WiktionaryText
Etymology 1
15th century, from or , from ; related to Old Norse , Flemish ; from .
Noun
- The eggs of fish.
- The sperm of certain fish.
- The ovaries of certain crustaceans.
Quotations
- 1988 : It was quite flavourless, except that, where its innards had been imperfectly removed, silver traces of roe gave it an unpleasant bitterness. - Alan Hollinghurst, The Swimming Pool Library, (Penguin Books, paperback edition, 40)
Etymology 2
, from , from . Compare Old Norse (Danish ), Dutch , Old High German , German