Piggy

Part of speech: adjective, noun

Pronunciation: /ˈpɪɡi/

Definitions

1. A young or small swine animal ; a person who takes more than their share out of selfishness ; a type of container shaped like a pig used to save coins
2. A juvenile pig or piglet ; an individual showing greed or selfishness ; a pig-shaped receptacle for holding money
3. A little pig animal ; one who is characterized by greediness ; a coined box designed as a pig for collecting money

Etymology: "Piggy" is a plain case of a simple suffix added to an existing word. The base is "pig," and the ending "-y" works here as a diminutive, turning the animal into its small, young form, the piglet. That same ending gives the word its childish, affectionate tone, as in "piggy" used by parents or in nursery rhymes. The adjective sense comes from a second, separate use of the same ending. Added to "pig," the suffix produces a sense of being like a pig, especially in greed, gluttony, or selfishness, so a "piggy" person is one who grabs more than their share. The money container shares this logic: a piggy bank is shaped like a pig, and the name follows from the animal shape rather than any separate root.

Synonyms: chubby, plump