Oophagy (/oʊˈɒfədʒi/ oh-OFF-ə-jee) sometimes ovophagy, literally "egg eating", is the practice of embryos feeding on eggs produced by the ovary while still inside the mother's uterus. The word oophagy is formed from the classical Greek ᾠόν (ōion, "egg") and classical Greek φᾱγεῖν (phāgein, "to eat"). In contrast, adelphophagy is the cannibalism of a multi-celled embryo. This practice may lead to larger embryos or prepare the embryo for a predatory lifestyle.