"egg of Columbus" meaning in English

See egg of Columbus in All languages combined, or Wiktionary

Noun

Forms: eggs of Columbus [plural]
Etymology: Referring to an apocryphal story in which Christopher Columbus, having been told that discovering the Americas was inevitable and no great accomplishment, challenges his critics to make an egg stand on its tip. When they give up, he does it himself by tapping the egg on the table to flatten its tip. Head templates: {{en-noun|eggs of Columbus}} egg of Columbus (plural eggs of Columbus)
  1. A brilliant idea or discovery that seems simple after the fact. Wikipedia link: Christopher Columbus, egg of Columbus Related terms: Columbus egg Translations (brilliant idea or discovery that seems simple after the fact): güevu de Colón [masculine] (Asturian), l'ou de Colom [masculine] (Catalan), Kolumbovo vejce [neuter] (Czech), columbusæg [neuter] (Danish), Columbus-æg [neuter] (Danish), ei van Columbus [neuter] (Dutch), ovo de Kolumbo (Esperanto), Kolumbuksen muna (Finnish), œuf de Colomb [masculine] (French), ovo de Colón [masculine] (Galician), Ei des Kolumbus (German), αβγό του Κολόμβου (avgó tou Kolómvou) [neuter] (Greek), telur Columbus (Indonesian), uovo di Colombo [masculine] (Italian), コロンブスの卵 (koronbusu no tamago) (alt: コロンブスのたまご) (Japanese), 콜럼버스의 달걀 (kolleombeoseuui dalgyal) (Korean), Kolumbo kiaušinis (Lithuanian), columbi egg [neuter] (Norwegian Bokmål), columbi egg [neuter] (Norwegian Nynorsk), jajko Kolumba [neuter] (Polish), ovo de Colombo [masculine] (Portuguese), uòu de Colomb [neuter] (Romanian), колумбово яйцо (kolumbovo jajco) [neuter] (Russian), Kolumbovo vejce [neuter] (Slovak), Kolumbusovo vejce [neuter] (Slovak), huevo de Colón [masculine] (Spanish), Columbi ägg [neuter] (Swedish), колумбове яйце (kolumbove jajce) [neuter] (Ukrainian)

Inflected forms

Download JSON data for egg of Columbus meaning in English (5.9kB)

{
  "etymology_text": "Referring to an apocryphal story in which Christopher Columbus, having been told that discovering the Americas was inevitable and no great accomplishment, challenges his critics to make an egg stand on its tip. When they give up, he does it himself by tapping the egg on the table to flatten its tip.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "eggs of Columbus",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "eggs of Columbus"
      },
      "expansion": "egg of Columbus (plural eggs of Columbus)",
      "name": "en-noun"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "noun",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with incorrect language header",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with language name categories using raw markup",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with language name categories using raw markup",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English terms with non-redundant non-automated sortkeys",
          "parents": [
            "Terms with non-redundant non-automated sortkeys",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A brilliant idea or discovery that seems simple after the fact."
      ],
      "id": "en-egg_of_Columbus-en-noun-pP3OBp~A",
      "links": [
        [
          "brilliant",
          "brilliant"
        ],
        [
          "idea",
          "idea"
        ],
        [
          "discovery",
          "discovery"
        ],
        [
          "simple",
          "simple"
        ],
        [
          "after the fact",
          "after the fact"
        ]
      ],
      "related": [
        {
          "word": "Columbus egg"
        }
      ],
      "translations": [
        {
          "code": "ast",
          "lang": "Asturian",
          "sense": "brilliant idea or discovery that seems simple after the fact",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "güevu de Colón"
        },
        {
          "code": "ca",
          "lang": "Catalan",
          "sense": "brilliant idea or discovery that seems simple after the fact",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "l'ou de Colom"
        },
        {
          "code": "cs",
          "lang": "Czech",
          "sense": "brilliant idea or discovery that seems simple after the fact",
          "tags": [
            "neuter"
          ],
          "word": "Kolumbovo vejce"
        },
        {
          "code": "da",
          "lang": "Danish",
          "sense": "brilliant idea or discovery that seems simple after the fact",
          "tags": [
            "neuter"
          ],
          "word": "columbusæg"
        },
        {
          "code": "da",
          "lang": "Danish",
          "sense": "brilliant idea or discovery that seems simple after the fact",
          "tags": [
            "neuter"
          ],
          "word": "Columbus-æg"
        },
        {
          "code": "nl",
          "lang": "Dutch",
          "sense": "brilliant idea or discovery that seems simple after the fact",
          "tags": [
            "neuter"
          ],
          "word": "ei van Columbus"
        },
        {
          "code": "eo",
          "lang": "Esperanto",
          "sense": "brilliant idea or discovery that seems simple after the fact",
          "word": "ovo de Kolumbo"
        },
        {
          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "sense": "brilliant idea or discovery that seems simple after the fact",
          "word": "Kolumbuksen muna"
        },
        {
          "code": "fr",
          "lang": "French",
          "sense": "brilliant idea or discovery that seems simple after the fact",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "œuf de Colomb"
        },
        {
          "code": "gl",
          "lang": "Galician",
          "sense": "brilliant idea or discovery that seems simple after the fact",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "ovo de Colón"
        },
        {
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "brilliant idea or discovery that seems simple after the fact",
          "word": "Ei des Kolumbus"
        },
        {
          "code": "el",
          "lang": "Greek",
          "roman": "avgó tou Kolómvou",
          "sense": "brilliant idea or discovery that seems simple after the fact",
          "tags": [
            "neuter"
          ],
          "word": "αβγό του Κολόμβου"
        },
        {
          "code": "id",
          "lang": "Indonesian",
          "sense": "brilliant idea or discovery that seems simple after the fact",
          "word": "telur Columbus"
        },
        {
          "code": "it",
          "lang": "Italian",
          "sense": "brilliant idea or discovery that seems simple after the fact",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "uovo di Colombo"
        },
        {
          "alt": "コロンブスのたまご",
          "code": "ja",
          "lang": "Japanese",
          "roman": "koronbusu no tamago",
          "sense": "brilliant idea or discovery that seems simple after the fact",
          "word": "コロンブスの卵"
        },
        {
          "code": "ko",
          "lang": "Korean",
          "roman": "kolleombeoseuui dalgyal",
          "sense": "brilliant idea or discovery that seems simple after the fact",
          "word": "콜럼버스의 달걀"
        },
        {
          "code": "lt",
          "lang": "Lithuanian",
          "sense": "brilliant idea or discovery that seems simple after the fact",
          "word": "Kolumbo kiaušinis"
        },
        {
          "code": "nb",
          "lang": "Norwegian Bokmål",
          "sense": "brilliant idea or discovery that seems simple after the fact",
          "tags": [
            "neuter"
          ],
          "word": "columbi egg"
        },
        {
          "code": "nn",
          "lang": "Norwegian Nynorsk",
          "sense": "brilliant idea or discovery that seems simple after the fact",
          "tags": [
            "neuter"
          ],
          "word": "columbi egg"
        },
        {
          "code": "pl",
          "lang": "Polish",
          "sense": "brilliant idea or discovery that seems simple after the fact",
          "tags": [
            "neuter"
          ],
          "word": "jajko Kolumba"
        },
        {
          "code": "pt",
          "lang": "Portuguese",
          "sense": "brilliant idea or discovery that seems simple after the fact",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "ovo de Colombo"
        },
        {
          "code": "ro",
          "lang": "Romanian",
          "sense": "brilliant idea or discovery that seems simple after the fact",
          "tags": [
            "neuter"
          ],
          "word": "uòu de Colomb"
        },
        {
          "code": "ru",
          "lang": "Russian",
          "roman": "kolumbovo jajco",
          "sense": "brilliant idea or discovery that seems simple after the fact",
          "tags": [
            "neuter"
          ],
          "word": "колумбово яйцо"
        },
        {
          "code": "sk",
          "lang": "Slovak",
          "sense": "brilliant idea or discovery that seems simple after the fact",
          "tags": [
            "neuter"
          ],
          "word": "Kolumbovo vejce"
        },
        {
          "code": "sk",
          "lang": "Slovak",
          "sense": "brilliant idea or discovery that seems simple after the fact",
          "tags": [
            "neuter"
          ],
          "word": "Kolumbusovo vejce"
        },
        {
          "code": "es",
          "lang": "Spanish",
          "sense": "brilliant idea or discovery that seems simple after the fact",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "huevo de Colón"
        },
        {
          "code": "sv",
          "lang": "Swedish",
          "sense": "brilliant idea or discovery that seems simple after the fact",
          "tags": [
            "neuter"
          ],
          "word": "Columbi ägg"
        },
        {
          "code": "uk",
          "lang": "Ukrainian",
          "roman": "kolumbove jajce",
          "sense": "brilliant idea or discovery that seems simple after the fact",
          "tags": [
            "neuter"
          ],
          "word": "колумбове яйце"
        }
      ],
      "wikipedia": [
        "Christopher Columbus",
        "egg of Columbus"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "word": "egg of Columbus"
}
{
  "etymology_text": "Referring to an apocryphal story in which Christopher Columbus, having been told that discovering the Americas was inevitable and no great accomplishment, challenges his critics to make an egg stand on its tip. When they give up, he does it himself by tapping the egg on the table to flatten its tip.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "eggs of Columbus",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "eggs of Columbus"
      },
      "expansion": "egg of Columbus (plural eggs of Columbus)",
      "name": "en-noun"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "noun",
  "related": [
    {
      "word": "Columbus egg"
    }
  ],
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "English countable nouns",
        "English entries with incorrect language header",
        "English entries with language name categories using raw markup",
        "English eponyms",
        "English lemmas",
        "English multiword terms",
        "English nouns",
        "English terms with non-redundant non-automated sortkeys"
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A brilliant idea or discovery that seems simple after the fact."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "brilliant",
          "brilliant"
        ],
        [
          "idea",
          "idea"
        ],
        [
          "discovery",
          "discovery"
        ],
        [
          "simple",
          "simple"
        ],
        [
          "after the fact",
          "after the fact"
        ]
      ],
      "wikipedia": [
        "Christopher Columbus",
        "egg of Columbus"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "translations": [
    {
      "code": "ast",
      "lang": "Asturian",
      "sense": "brilliant idea or discovery that seems simple after the fact",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "güevu de Colón"
    },
    {
      "code": "ca",
      "lang": "Catalan",
      "sense": "brilliant idea or discovery that seems simple after the fact",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "l'ou de Colom"
    },
    {
      "code": "cs",
      "lang": "Czech",
      "sense": "brilliant idea or discovery that seems simple after the fact",
      "tags": [
        "neuter"
      ],
      "word": "Kolumbovo vejce"
    },
    {
      "code": "da",
      "lang": "Danish",
      "sense": "brilliant idea or discovery that seems simple after the fact",
      "tags": [
        "neuter"
      ],
      "word": "columbusæg"
    },
    {
      "code": "da",
      "lang": "Danish",
      "sense": "brilliant idea or discovery that seems simple after the fact",
      "tags": [
        "neuter"
      ],
      "word": "Columbus-æg"
    },
    {
      "code": "nl",
      "lang": "Dutch",
      "sense": "brilliant idea or discovery that seems simple after the fact",
      "tags": [
        "neuter"
      ],
      "word": "ei van Columbus"
    },
    {
      "code": "eo",
      "lang": "Esperanto",
      "sense": "brilliant idea or discovery that seems simple after the fact",
      "word": "ovo de Kolumbo"
    },
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "brilliant idea or discovery that seems simple after the fact",
      "word": "Kolumbuksen muna"
    },
    {
      "code": "fr",
      "lang": "French",
      "sense": "brilliant idea or discovery that seems simple after the fact",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "œuf de Colomb"
    },
    {
      "code": "gl",
      "lang": "Galician",
      "sense": "brilliant idea or discovery that seems simple after the fact",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "ovo de Colón"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "brilliant idea or discovery that seems simple after the fact",
      "word": "Ei des Kolumbus"
    },
    {
      "code": "el",
      "lang": "Greek",
      "roman": "avgó tou Kolómvou",
      "sense": "brilliant idea or discovery that seems simple after the fact",
      "tags": [
        "neuter"
      ],
      "word": "αβγό του Κολόμβου"
    },
    {
      "code": "id",
      "lang": "Indonesian",
      "sense": "brilliant idea or discovery that seems simple after the fact",
      "word": "telur Columbus"
    },
    {
      "code": "it",
      "lang": "Italian",
      "sense": "brilliant idea or discovery that seems simple after the fact",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "uovo di Colombo"
    },
    {
      "alt": "コロンブスのたまご",
      "code": "ja",
      "lang": "Japanese",
      "roman": "koronbusu no tamago",
      "sense": "brilliant idea or discovery that seems simple after the fact",
      "word": "コロンブスの卵"
    },
    {
      "code": "ko",
      "lang": "Korean",
      "roman": "kolleombeoseuui dalgyal",
      "sense": "brilliant idea or discovery that seems simple after the fact",
      "word": "콜럼버스의 달걀"
    },
    {
      "code": "lt",
      "lang": "Lithuanian",
      "sense": "brilliant idea or discovery that seems simple after the fact",
      "word": "Kolumbo kiaušinis"
    },
    {
      "code": "nb",
      "lang": "Norwegian Bokmål",
      "sense": "brilliant idea or discovery that seems simple after the fact",
      "tags": [
        "neuter"
      ],
      "word": "columbi egg"
    },
    {
      "code": "nn",
      "lang": "Norwegian Nynorsk",
      "sense": "brilliant idea or discovery that seems simple after the fact",
      "tags": [
        "neuter"
      ],
      "word": "columbi egg"
    },
    {
      "code": "pl",
      "lang": "Polish",
      "sense": "brilliant idea or discovery that seems simple after the fact",
      "tags": [
        "neuter"
      ],
      "word": "jajko Kolumba"
    },
    {
      "code": "pt",
      "lang": "Portuguese",
      "sense": "brilliant idea or discovery that seems simple after the fact",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "ovo de Colombo"
    },
    {
      "code": "ro",
      "lang": "Romanian",
      "sense": "brilliant idea or discovery that seems simple after the fact",
      "tags": [
        "neuter"
      ],
      "word": "uòu de Colomb"
    },
    {
      "code": "ru",
      "lang": "Russian",
      "roman": "kolumbovo jajco",
      "sense": "brilliant idea or discovery that seems simple after the fact",
      "tags": [
        "neuter"
      ],
      "word": "колумбово яйцо"
    },
    {
      "code": "sk",
      "lang": "Slovak",
      "sense": "brilliant idea or discovery that seems simple after the fact",
      "tags": [
        "neuter"
      ],
      "word": "Kolumbovo vejce"
    },
    {
      "code": "sk",
      "lang": "Slovak",
      "sense": "brilliant idea or discovery that seems simple after the fact",
      "tags": [
        "neuter"
      ],
      "word": "Kolumbusovo vejce"
    },
    {
      "code": "es",
      "lang": "Spanish",
      "sense": "brilliant idea or discovery that seems simple after the fact",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "huevo de Colón"
    },
    {
      "code": "sv",
      "lang": "Swedish",
      "sense": "brilliant idea or discovery that seems simple after the fact",
      "tags": [
        "neuter"
      ],
      "word": "Columbi ägg"
    },
    {
      "code": "uk",
      "lang": "Ukrainian",
      "roman": "kolumbove jajce",
      "sense": "brilliant idea or discovery that seems simple after the fact",
      "tags": [
        "neuter"
      ],
      "word": "колумбове яйце"
    }
  ],
  "word": "egg of Columbus"
}

This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2024-05-01 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2024-04-21 using wiktextract (f4fd8c9 and c9440ce). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.

If you use this data in academic research, please cite Tatu Ylonen: Wiktextract: Wiktionary as Machine-Readable Structured Data, Proceedings of the 13th Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC), pp. 1317-1325, Marseille, 20-25 June 2022. Linking to the relevant page(s) under https://kaikki.org would also be greatly appreciated.