Shoats

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A young pig that is weaned and is being raised for meat production
2. An immature swine typically between the ages of four to twelve months
3. Referring to pigs that have transitioned from suckling to a diet of solid feed and are in a growth phase

Etymology: The plural "shoats" is simply the plural of "shoat," a young pig weaned and raised for meat. The singular came into English in Middle English as "schote," and its exact origin is uncertain. One possibility is that it was a special use of the older Middle English "schote," meaning a projectile or a young shoot, a sense that fits a small, quick-growing animal. Another is that it came from Middle Low German, where a cognate, the West Flemish "schote," meant "young piglet." The most surprising part is that the word has a playful, possibly accidental, sense of blending. Some sources describe "shoat" as a blend of "sheep" and "goat," a combination that would be odd for a pig, which suggests the form was shaped by other animal names rather than arising from a single clear source.

Synonyms: piglets, young pigs, swine, hogs, porkers