yegg

[ yeg ]

noun

, Older Slang.

1. a safecracker.
2. an itinerant burglar.
3. thug ( def 1 ).

yegg

/ jɛɡ /

noun

1. slang.
   a burglar or safe-breaker

Word History and Origins

Origin of yegg¹

First recorded in 1925–30, Americanism; of obscure origin; the proposals that the word is from German Jäger “hunter” or that it is the surname of a well-known safecracker are both very dubious

Word History and Origins

Origin of yegg¹

C20: perhaps from the surname of a burglar

Example Sentences

Their name was most likely derived from John Yegg, alias of a late-19th-, early-20th-century bank robber.

From Seattle Times

Yegg Inc., a California firm that offers business finance solutions, was awarded $16.6 million to supply milk and dairy boxes for the Farmers to Families Food Box program May 8.

From Washington Post

In a letter Sunday, James E. Clyburn, chairman of the House’s select subcommittee on the coronavirus crisis, asked George Egbuonu, president of Yegg, to cooperate with the committee’s investigation into the food box program.

From Washington Post

“Yegg looks forward to continuing to fully cooperate with the subcommittee’s inquiry, subject to Yegg’s legitimate right to protect its proprietary business information from disclosure to its competitors.”

From Washington Post

The House subcommittee alleges that Yegg refused to produce documents in September showing the prices it charged USDA, documents describing performance of its contractual obligations and communications between Yegg and USDA.

From Washington Post