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# egghead

noun (an egghead, eggheads)

«egghead» in the English dictionary: everyday — its meanings, how the lessons use it, and examples, each with its tree on Mova.

## Everyday

1. (informal, often mocking) A very clever person who is interested in study and ideas, sometimes seen as out of touch with real life. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/E/egghead/#m1)
2. (informal, friendly) A brainy person, a «brainbox». [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/E/egghead/#m2)

### In the lessons

Used in everyday talk, cartoons and the UK TV quiz show «Eggheads»; can be a gentle tease or an insult about being too clever; phrases: «a bunch of eggheads», «egghead scientists».

### Examples

- (informal) My brother is a real egghead who reads encyclopaedias for fun. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/E/egghead/#x1)
- (informal) The eggheads at the university solved the puzzle. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/E/egghead/#x2)
- The quiz show «Eggheads» has a team of very clever people. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/E/egghead/#x3)
- (informal) Don't call him an egghead just because he likes maths. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/E/egghead/#x4)
- (informal) The film's hero is a shy egghead who saves the day. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/E/egghead/#x5)
- (informal) «Ask the egghead in our class,» joked Sam, pointing at Priya. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/E/egghead/#x6)

### Note

Informal; can be unkind. Similar: brainbox, boffin (UK), nerd, geek. One word.

## On Mova

- [Trees and pragmatics of «egghead» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/E/egghead/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«egghead» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/egghead.html) on Mova free.