Colloquial Variant guide

yegg

noun · verb · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • /jɛɡ/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • rhymes with -ɛɡ

1

noun

Meaning 1

A person who breaks open safes; a burglar.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: slang

Qualifier: cant

Examples

  • 1904, Edwin S. Porter (director), Capture of the ‘Yegg’ Bank Burglars

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

verb

Meaning 2

To rob.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: slang

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

Origin unknown.

Across languages

Translations

6 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Czech: kasař — a person who breaks open safes; a burglar
  • Finnish: murtovaras — a person who breaks open safes; a burglar
  • Finnish: kassakaappimurtaja — a person who breaks open safes; a burglar
  • Hungarian: kasszafúró — a person who breaks open safes; a burglar
  • Polish: kasiarz — a person who breaks open safes; a burglar
  • Russian: взло́мщик (vzlómščik) — a person who breaks open safes; a burglar