Easter egg

noun

plural Easter eggs
1
: an egg that is dyed and sometimes decorated and that is associated with the celebration of Easter
2
or less commonly Easter Egg or easter egg plural Easter Eggs or easter eggs : a hidden feature in a commercially released product (such as software or a DVD)
3
or less commonly Easter Egg or easter egg : a usually subtle callback (see callback sense 3) included to please fans
They certainly didn't disappoint …, littering the movie with a bunch of fun Easter eggs for fans of the video games and other cool inside jokes.—Craig Flaster

Examples of Easter egg in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The reasoning can be found in an Easter egg manager Walt Weiss dropped Sunday after Elder allowed one run over six innings in the Braves’ win over the Diamondbacks at Truist Park. — Tyler Estep, AJC.com, 21 Aug. 2026 There are plenty of Easter egg references to the previous films, including the reappearance of numerous demonic entities and the Red Door that serves as an entranceway to the Further’s various portals. — Frank Scheck, HollywoodReporter, 19 Aug. 2026 Here are a few of the more subtle hints, references and Easter eggs Disney Imagineers snuck into the showcase of what’s next at Disneyland and Disney World. — Mackenzie Schmidt, PEOPLE, 15 Aug. 2026 Besides the high-octane action and deep story, there are tons of comic-book Easter eggs, costumes and claw combinations that fans will love. — Jordan Moreau, Variety, 13 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for Easter egg

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1572, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of Easter egg was circa 1572

Rhymes for Easter egg

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Browse Nearby Words

Easter duty
Easter egg
Easter Even
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Easter egg.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Easter%20egg. Accessed 25 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on Easter egg

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about Easter egg

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