pig

plural pigs

1. countableAny of several mammalian species of the family Suidae, having cloven hooves, bristles and a snout adapted for digging; especially the domesticated animal Sus domesticus.

   The man kept a pen with two pigs that he fed everything from carrots to cabbage.

   1 more example

   […]and at the back a rambling courtledge of barns and walls, around which pigs and bare-foot children grunted in loving communion of dirt.

   1855, Charles Kingsley, “How Salvation Yeo Slew the King of the Gubbings”, in Westward Ho!: Or, The Voyages and Adventures of Sir Amyas Leigh, Knight, […], volume II, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire: Macmillan & Co., →OCLC, page 113

   Synonyms: hog, suid, swine

   1. countablespecificallyuncountableA young swine, a piglet (contrasted with a hog, an adult swine).

      Weanlings grow into feeder pigs, and feeder pigs grow into slaughter hogs. […] Ultimately the end use for virtually all pigs and hogs is to be slaughtered for the production of pork and other products.

      2005 April, Live Swine from Canada, Investigation No. 731-TA-1076 (Final), publication 3766, April 2005, U.S. International Trade Commission, →ISBN, page I-9

      Synonyms: hog, suid, swine

2. uncountableThe edible meat of such an animal; pork.

   Some religions prohibit their adherents from eating pig.

   1 more example

   "Miss Chastene, could you fetch me out an extra plate of pig and biscuit. My partner can't do without your marvelous cooking."

   2005, Ross Eddy Osborn, Thorns of a Tainted Rose, →ISBN, page 196

3. uncountableA light pinkish-red colour, like that of a pig (also called piggy pink).

   So far on the streets there's been a lot of metallic pink (the kind of pink as in the shade of pig you get, and this is exactly the shade of the diary I've been writing in) […]

   2019, Bee Smith, Queen Bee's Party

4. A person:
   1. countablederogatoryfigurativelyuncountableSomeone who overeats or eats rapidly and noisily.

      You gluttonous pig! Now that you've eaten all the cupcakes, there will be none for the party!

      1 more example

      When you figure out the maze and get to the middle, that's when you get your free cocoa. It's on a table in two big thermos jugs, and there's cups and a ladle, and the sign says, "One cup per customer, PLEASE!" because some people are pigs.

      2008, Wally Lamb, The Hour I First Believed, Ch.4, at p.86

      Synonyms: animal, belly-god, big back, buzgut, cormorant, dog, epicure, gannet

   2. countablederogatoryfigurativelyuncountableA lecherous or sexist man.

      She considered him a pig, as he invariably stared at her bosom when they talked.

   3. countablederogatoryfigurativelyuncountableA dirty or slovenly person.

      He was a pig and his apartment a pigpen; take-away containers and pizza boxes in a long, moldy stream lined his counter tops.

   4. countablederogatoryfigurativelyuncountableAn obese person.

      Synonyms: All are derogatory unless otherwise labeled, butterball, chod, chodder, chubbs, chubster, chunker, chunky monkey

   5. countablederogatoryfigurativelyuncountableA greedy person.

      Capitalist pigs love exploiting the working classes for their own benefits.

   6. countablederogatoryfigurativelyslanguncountableA police officer.First known use ante 1785.

      The protester shouted, “Don't give in to the pigs!” as he was arrested.

      5 more examples

      There will be no pictures of pigs shooting down brothers on the instant replay

      1971, Gil Scott-Heron, “The Revolution Will Not Be Televised”

      “...Sounds too easy,” Marvin was saying. “What about the pigs?” He meant police.

      1989, Dan Simmons, Carrion Comfort, page 359

      The bank robberies went on and each raid became more bloody, Meinhof encouraging her followers to “kill the pigs” offering the slightest resistance, referring to policemen.

      1990, Jay Robert Nash, Encyclopedia of World Crime: Volume 1: A-C, page 198

      Backing 300 of the more aggressive protesters was a supporting cast of several thousand more who stared down the small line of police. Those in front resumed their taunts of “Pig, pig, fascist pig,” and “pigs eat shit, pigs eat shit.” The rest of the crowd, however, backed off and sat down on the grass when reinforcements arrived. Police did not retaliate for the name-calling, and within minutes the line of demonstrators broke apart and the incident was over without violence.¹¹³

      2008, Frank Kusch, Battleground Chicago: The Police and the 1968 Democratic National Convention, page 63

      But me, I joined the party to fight the pigs. That′s why I joined. Because my experience with the police was always negative.

      2011, T. J. English, The Savage City: Race, Murder and a Generation on the Edge, unnumbered page

      Synonyms: 5-O, alphabet, barney, beatsman, bizzie, bluebottle, bluecoat, blue heeler

5. countableinformaluncountableA difficult problem.

   Chewing-gum is a pig to get out of your hair.

   1 more example

   Hrm... this one's a real pig: I've been banging my head against the wall over it for hours!

6. countableuncountableAn oblong block of cast metal (now only iron or lead).

   The conveyor carried the pigs from the smelter to the freight cars.

   1 more example

   Standing near the side, he had observed Rex and Fair bring up a great pig of iron, erst used as part of the ballast of the brig, and poise it on the rail.

   1874, Marcus Clarke, For the Term of His Natural Life, Penguin, published 2009, page 138

7. countableuncountableThe mold in which a block of metal is cast.

   The pig was cracked, and molten metal was oozing from the side.

8. countableuncountableA lead container used for radioactive waste.

   Taylor also bought a pig—a radiation-shielding container made of thick lead—to stash the most radioactive materials in.

   2015, Tom Clynes, The Boy Who Played with Fusion, page 36

   1 more example

   Forceps and a lead container (called a pig) that are routinely placed in the room are used to retrieve and contain the source.

   2015, Adrianne Dill Linton, Introduction to Medical-Surgical Nursing, page 394

9. countableuncountableengineeringA device for cleaning or inspecting the inside of an oil or gas pipeline, or for separating different substances within the pipeline. Named for the pig-like squealing noise made by their progress.

   Unfortunately, the pig sent to clear the obstruction got lodged in a tight bend, adding to the problem.

10. UScountableslanguncountablegovernmentThe general-purpose M60 machine gun, considered to be heavy and bulky.

    Unfortunately, the M60 is about twenty-four pounds and is very unbalanced. You try carrying the pig around the jungle and see how you feel.

11. uncountableA simple dice game in which players roll the dice as many times as they like, either accumulating a greater score or losing previous points gained.
12. UKcountableobsoleteslanguncountableA sixpence.

    Synonyms: sow's baby

13. UScountableslanguncountableA Cadillac car.
14. UScountableslanguncountableA Harley-Davidson motorcycle.
15. countableslanguncountableThe victim of a pig butchering scam.

present singular third person pigs · participle present pigging · participle past pigged · past pigged

1. To give birth.

   The black sow pigged at seven this morning.

2. intransitiveTo greedily consume (especially food).

   They were pigging on the free food at the bar.

   1 more example

   "Wow, Doc. That's heavy." Denis sat there pigging on the joint as usual.

   2009, Thomas Pynchon, Inherent Vice, Vintage, published 2010, page 349

3. intransitiveTo huddle or lie together like pigs, in one bed.
4. intransitiveTo live together in a crowded filthy manner.
5. transitiveengineeringTo clean (a pipeline) using a pig (the device).

plural pigs

1. ScotlandAn earthenware pot or jar

   Synonyms: pigg

   1. ScotlandspecificallyAn earthenware vessel used as a hot-water bottle

      Synonyms: pigg

plural PIGs · alternative P.I.G.

1. countableuncountablePersuade, Identify, GOTV, an electoral technique commonly employed in the United Kingdom.
2. countableuncountablePolice in gear.
3. abbreviationacronymcountableuncountableAcronym of pipe inspection gauge.

1. The twelfth of the 12-year cycle of animals which appear in the Chinese zodiac related to the Chinese calendar.

plural pIgs

1. abbreviationbiologyAbbreviation of polyclonal immunoglobulin.