Suids

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Members of the family of hoofed mammals that includes all wild and domestic pigs ; encompasses various swine species characterized by bristly hair and a snout used for rooting
2. Hoofed animals in the biological group containing pigs ; creatures with stout bodies, typically omnivorous, recognized for their adaptable nature and hardworking snout
3. Species classified within the pig family ; stocky, even-toed ungulates distinguished by their bristled coats, rounded bodies, and distinctive nasal discs for foraging

Etymology: "Suids" is the plural of "suid," a noun for any member of the pig family, Suidae, which includes domestic pigs, wild boars and their relatives. The family name is built on the genus name "Sus," the Latin word for pig, and the "-idae" ending is the standard zoological suffix used to name animal families. So the word is a plain scientific coinage: a Latin genus name turned into a family label, with the English plural added at the end. The pattern is a common one in biology. Once a group of animals is named after a representative genus, every family in that group takes that genus name plus "-idae," and English speakers borrowed those family names as ordinary nouns. "Suid" is therefore a clear example of a technical term that began as a Latin label for one animal and grew into a word for a whole branch of the animal kingdom.

Synonyms: pigs, swine