Pig

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /pɪɡ/

Definitions

1. A domesticated animal commonly raised for meat, which is also associated with various cultural idioms and represents gluttony or dirtiness in some contexts
2. A farm animal known for its stout body and curly tail, often used in agriculture and symbolizing abundance or fertility in certain societies
3. A member of the suid family, typically characterized by a snout and significant intelligence, valued for its meat while having various representations in folklore and language

Etymology: The most surprising thing about "pig" is that it began as a name for a young animal. Early English used "swine" for the adult beast, while "pig" referred only to a piglet, and the word only gradually widened to cover pigs of every age. Its ancestry is uncertain. It may be a diminutive of an older Germanic root "*pūk", which also produced Middle Low German "pûke" meaning pig or piglet, and some scholars have linked that root to a word meaning "to blow" or "swell", a connection that might explain why "pig" and "big" alternate in some dialects. Comparison with Dutch, Frisian and Low German words for piglet is common, but the sound changes needed to connect them are difficult to demonstrate. The word also has a sense that has nothing to do with farmyards. Slang for a police officer is attested from at least 1785. This may be a transferred use, since the vessel of that name was thought to resemble the animal, though the connection is not certain.

Synonyms: swine, hog, boar

Antonyms: human