1.
[syn: roe, hard roe]
2. eggs of female fish;
3. the egg mass or spawn of certain crustaceans such as the lobster;
4. the eggs or egg-laden ovary of a fish;
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
Roe \Roe\, n. [For roan, OE. rowne, akin to G. rogen, OHG.
rogan, Icel. hrogn, Dan. rogn, ravn, Sw. rom; of uncertain
origin; cf. Gr. ??? pebble, Skr. ?arkar[=a] gravel.]
1. (Zool.) The ova or spawn of fishes and amphibians,
especially when still inclosed in the ovarian membranes.
Sometimes applied, loosely, to the sperm and the testes of
the male.
[1913 Webster]
2. A mottled appearance of light and shade in wood,
especially in mahogany.
[1913 Webster]
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:
Roe \Roe\, n. [OE. ro, AS. r[=a]h; akin to D. ree, G. reh, Icel.
r[=a], SW. r[*a].] (Zool.)
(a) A roebuck. See Roebuck.
(b) The female of any species of deer.
[1913 Webster]
WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):
roe
n 1: fish eggs or egg-filled ovary; having a grainy texture
[syn: roe, hard roe]
2: eggs of female fish
3: the egg mass or spawn of certain crustaceans such as the
lobster
4: the eggs or egg-laden ovary of a fish