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.
Each year, Fan Night gives the musical’s most devoted followers a performance unlike any other, with new jokes, unexpected Easter eggs and special guests dropped throughout the show. — Dave Quinn, PEOPLE, 28 Aug. 2026 In the trailer, Reinhart‘s Olive is shown spontaneously kissing Bateman‘s Adam — a notable Easter egg to the book cover of Hazelwood‘s bestseller — so her best friend Anh can see them. — Lexy Perez, HollywoodReporter, 26 Aug. 2026 Swift wore an ethereal pale green Dôen dress for the rare interview, which many fans saw as an Easter egg to her debut album. — Meg Walters, InStyle, 25 Aug. 2026 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 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

See All Rhymes for Easter egg

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 1 Sep. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on Easter egg

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about Easter egg

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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