egg crates

Noun

egg crate (countable and uncountable, plural egg crates)

1. (countable) A crate used for transporting eggs.
   • I can recall many an evening sitting in the store with the store manager and perhaps also with the wife of a farmer until midnight when the saloon closed, waiting for the men to stop by for their cream cans, egg crates and wives.2013, Carleton Opgaard, From Country School to College President, →ISBN, page 15
2. (countable) An egg carton; A specialized container for eggs which has multiple indentations for holding individual eggs.
   • Place the plaque of conical molds, pointed side down, onto clean, empty, cardboard egg crates to support the molds so that they stand perfectly vertical.2009, Robert Wemischner, The Dessert Architect, →ISBN, page 275
3. (countable, lighting) A device for restricting the spread of light that fits into the softbox of a diffuser panel.
   • Happily this situation can be helped to a great extent by the use of grids called egg crates, which prevent the light from spreading too broadly.2012, Kris Malkiewicz, Film Lighting, →ISBN
4. (countable) A self-contained class that has no collaboration or interaction with any other class, and which is the sole responsibility of a single teacher.
   • Classrooms became larger, but the egg crate design was maintained.1976, Richard D. Fish, Bradley M. Loomer, Elementary Open-space Schools
5. A foam pad with multiple indentations giving it a texture similar to that of an egg carton.
   • Typically, egg crates are covered with waterproof pads and then sheets.2012, Seth B. Goldsmith, Understanding Health Care Management, →ISBN, page 87
6. (countable) A surface or insert that has regularly spaced holes or indentations.
   • As you can see from the test reports, in the lower frequency ranges in particular, egg crates offer little value for absorption.2005, Ken A. Priebe, Home Recording Studio: Build It Like the Pros, →ISBN, page 282

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