hog

hog — noun

1. an adult pig raised on a farm, typically killed and processed once it reaches a

1.nounB1
Definition

an adult pig raised on a farm, typically killed and processed once it reaches a large enough size for the meat trade.

Example

Selim's uncle keeps a dozen hogs on his farm in Iowa.

collocation: keep/raise hogs

The price of corn directly affects how much it costs to feed a hog.

collocation: feed a hog

Common collocations
  • raise hogs
  • feed the hogs
  • fat hogs
  • herd of hogs
Synonyms
  • pig

    the general term for the animal, more neutral and broader than 'hog'

  • swine

    formal or collective term, common in agricultural and biblical contexts

  • porker

    a young pig fattened for pork, used mainly by farmers

Usage Note

In American English, 'hog' is the everyday word for a pig raised for meat. In British English, 'pig' is used more broadly; 'hog' there often refers specifically to a large adult pig. The collective noun is 'herd of hogs', and a male breeding pig is called a 'boar'.

Common Mistakes

I saw a hog in the park.
I saw a wild boar in the park.
'hog' usually refers to farm pigs, not wild ones. Use 'wild boar' for undomesticated animals.

2. a neutered adult male pig kept on a farm so it grows large and is later killed f

2.nounC1
Definition

a neutered adult male pig kept on a farm so it grows large and is later killed for pork.

Example

Tanvi's neighbour raises only barrows because castrated males grow faster for the meat market.

collocation: raise barrows

Selim's grandfather buys only barrows at auction, since castrated males put on weight faster.

collocation: buy barrows at auction

Common collocations
  • castrated hog
  • barrow hog
  • market hog
Synonyms
  • barrow

    the precise farming term for a castrated male pig

  • castrate

    verb only; describes the procedure, not the animal itself

Antonyms
  • boar

    an uncastrated adult male pig kept for breeding

Usage Note

Technical farming term. In the livestock industry, 'barrow' is the standard word for a neutered male hog, while 'hog' alone is used more loosely. Learners will most often encounter this sense in agricultural textbooks or market reports.

3. a person who takes or uses much more than their fair share, especially of food o

3.nounB2
Definition

a person who takes or uses much more than their fair share, especially of food or other shared resources.

Example

When the pizza arrived, Renata grabbed four slices before anyone else — what a hog.

exclamation: what a hog

Don't be such a hog — leave some ice cream for the rest of us.

imperative: don't be such a hog

Common collocations
  • such a hog
  • total hog
  • greedy hog
Synonyms
  • glutton

    specifically about overeating, more formal than 'hog'

  • pig

    similar informal insult, but broader — can mean messy or unpleasant too

  • selfish pig

    stronger insult combining selfishness with pig-like behaviour

Antonyms
  • sharer

    not a common insult; the opposite is described phrasally rather than with a single noun

Usage Note

Used disapprovingly to criticize selfish behaviour around shared goods. It can describe greed for food, space, attention, or possessions. When used as an insult, it carries a harsh, informal tone — comparable to calling someone 'a pig' in English.

Common Mistakes

He is such a hog of money.
He is such a hog when it comes to money.
'hog' is not followed by 'of' to describe what is taken; use a clause or phrase with 'when it comes to'.
She is a hog for attention.
She hogs all the attention.
as a noun, 'hog' means the person; use the verb form to describe the action.

4. a young sheep that has not yet been sheared of its first fleece.

4.nounC2
Definition

a young sheep that has not yet been sheared of its first fleece.

Example

Soraya helps her uncle sort the hogs from the shorn ewes before the spring shearing.

collocation: sort hogs from [category]

The shearer separated the young hogs from the adult ewes before the spring roundup.

Common collocations
  • young hog
  • unshorn hog
  • hog fleece
Synonyms
  • hogget

    alternative term, common in Australian and New Zealand English

  • lamb

    a young sheep generally, though 'lamb' is younger (under one year) and may have been shorn

Antonyms
  • ewe

    an adult female sheep that has been shorn

  • wether

    a castrated adult male sheep

Usage Note

Very specialized farming term, mainly used in sheep-ranching regions such as Australia, New Zealand, and parts of the UK. A 'hog' in this sense is sometimes called a 'hogget' in Australian English. Most English speakers, including native speakers, will never encounter this sense.

Idioms

go whole hog

idiom

to do something with as much effort, money, or energy as possible — holding nothing back.

Selim didn't just repaint one wall — he went whole hog and painted the entire house.

Anong's wedding planner went whole hog on the decorations, covering the hall with thousands of flowers.

live high on the hog

idiom

to live in a very comfortable, expensive, or luxurious way.

After Henry got his promotion, the family started living high on the hog.

The resort guests were living high on the hog, with gourmet meals and private pools.

go the whole hog

idiom

To do something in a complete or thorough way.

Maya decided to go the whole hog and paint every room.

Did Brian go the whole hog with his Halloween costume?

hog — verb

Word family

  • hogger
    nounC1
  • hoggish
    adjectiveC2

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

These four words all refer to the same animal family, but each carries a different nuance. 'Pig' is the most general and neutral term — it can refer to any member of the species, young or old, wild or domesticated. 'Hog' is more specific in American English: it usually means a large pig raised for meat. Telling someone 'you're a pig' is a common insult for messy or greedy behaviour; 'you're a hog' specifically accuses them of taking too much of a shared resource. 'Swine' is the formal, collective, or biblical word (as in 'pearls before swine'), almost never used in everyday speech about individual animals. 'Boar' refers specifically to an uncastrated adult male pig, or to wild pigs (wild boar). So a farmer raises hogs for market, a child sees pigs at a petting zoo, a biologist studies swine diseases, and a hunter tracks a boar through the forest.

hog ↗pig ↗swineboar

Common collocations

Nouns

  • hog farm
  • hog farmer
  • hog market
  • hog pen
  • hog price

Adverbs

Phrases

Etymology

Old Englishpossibly CelticEnglish

The word 'hog' traces back to Old English 'hogg', which appeared around the 1200s with the meaning of a young sheep (before it was sheared). By the 1300s, the word had shifted to also mean a domestic pig — the sense that eventually became dominant. The origin of the Old English word is uncertain, but it may come from a Celtic root (compare Welsh 'hwch' meaning 'sow' or 'pig'). The metaphorical use for a greedy person dates from the 1600s, and the verb 'to hog' (take more than one's share) appeared in the late 1800s in American English. The idiom 'go whole hog' first appeared in the early 1800s, possibly from a folk story about eating a whole pig.