Pigging

Part of speech: verb

Pronunciation: /ˈpɪɡɪŋ/

Definitions

1. The process of cleaning or inspecting the inside of a pipeline by pushing a device known as a pig through it ; the act of moving pigs from one place to another by herding them
2. A method for pipeline maintenance that involves sending a specialized tool to remove debris or check conditions inside pipes ; the practice of guiding and controlling pigs to a desired location
3. Using a tool to clean or monitor pipelines internally by traveling through the pipe ; the action of directing or gathering pigs by driving them along a path

Etymology: The pipeline sense comes from the noun "pig," whose origin is uncertain. A popular explanation holds that early scrapers squealed as they were forced through pipes, but no early record confirms this, so it is a plausible story rather than a documented one. The noun may be linked to "pig iron," the name for cast iron ingots, which were likely named for their resemblance to a sow nursing piglets, though a connection to pipeline tools is not established. The verb "pig," meaning to eat greedily or live in squalor, is older, and the present participle "pigging" is formed from the noun by adding the verb ending. Treating the tool as something one can do, driving or sending a pig through a line, is a later extension of that verb.

Synonyms: squealing, snorting