pig
pig
Pronunciation
/pɪɡ/.
Here's a breakdown of the sounds in the single syllable:
/p/: voiceless bilabial plosive
/ɪ/: near-front near-unrounded vowel
/ɡ/: voiced velar plosive
Word Form Variations
Noun:
Singular: pig (e.g., "There is a pig in the pen.")
Plural: pigs (e.g., "The farmer has many pigs.")
Verb:
The verb "pig" often relates to a pig's actions, or to eating excessively.
Base form/Infinitive: pig (e.g., "They tend to pig out on junk food.")
Third person singular present: pigs (e.g., "She pigs out every weekend.")
Present participle: pigging (e.g., "He is pigging himself on ice cream.")
Past tense: pigged (e.g., "They pigged out at the buffet.")
Past participle: pigged (e.g., "He had pigged out before the race.")
Related Adjectives:
While "pig" itself isn't typically used as an adjective, several adjectives are derived from or related to it:
Piggish: Meaning like a pig, especially in terms of being greedy, dirty, or ill-mannered (e.g., "He showed piggish table manners.").
Piggy: Informal, often used to describe small, pig-like eyes, or sometimes in a childish way (e.g., "The child had a piggy bank.").
Porcine: A more formal or scientific term meaning "relating to or resembling swine/pigs" (e.g., "The experiment involved porcine cells.").
Swinish: Similar to piggish, often implying gross, base, or contemptible qualities (e.g., "His swinish behavior offended everyone.").
Related Adverbs:
Piggishly: In a piggish manner (e.g., "He ate piggishly.").
Piglike: (Can also be used as an adverb) In a manner resembling a pig (e.g., "The animal moved piglike through the mud.").
Definitions, Synonyms and Antonyms
Noun
Definition: A domesticated, omnivorous mammal (scientific name Sus scrofa domesticus) with a stout body, short legs, a prominent snout, and a curly tail, commonly raised for its meat (pork, bacon, ham) and other products.
Synonyms: swine, hog, sow (female), boar (male), shoat (young)
Antonyms: (No direct antonyms, as it's a specific animal. One might contrast with a "clean" or "graceful" animal if focusing on stereotypical characteristics.)
Definition: (Informal, often derogatory) A person regarded as greedy, gluttonous, dirty, or contemptible in behavior or appearance.
Synonyms: slob, glutton, lout, beast, swine, brute
Antonyms: neatnik, ascetic, paragon, gentleman/lady
Definition: (Slang, often derogatory) A police officer.
Synonyms: cop (informal), fuzz (slang), law enforcement officer (formal)
Antonyms: (No direct antonyms, as it's a specific occupation)
Definition: (Informal) A large, unwieldy, or difficult object or task.
Synonyms: beast, monster, behemoth, chore, burden
Antonyms: cinch, breeze, easy task, lightweight
Verb
Definition: (Often followed by "out") To eat a large amount of food, often quickly and without restraint; to gorge oneself.
Synonyms: gorge, devour, gormandize, feast, overeat, binge
Antonyms: nibble, abstain, fast, diet, restrict
Definition: To live in an untidy, dirty, or messy manner.
Synonyms: wallow, mess up, slop (informal), make a mess
Antonyms: tidy, clean, organize, neaten
Adjective (Derived Forms)
While "pig" itself isn't an adjective, its derived forms are common:
Piggish
Definition: Resembling a pig in appearance, especially having small, narrow eyes or a broad nose.
Synonyms: piggy (informal), porcine
Antonyms: (No direct antonyms; depends on context, e.g., "aquiline" for nose, "large" for eyes)
Definition: Characterized by greed, gluttony, dirtiness, or unpleasant manners.
Synonyms: gluttonous, greedy, slovenly, boorish, crude, brutish, hoggish, swinish
Antonyms: refined, polite, clean, fastidious, ascetic, selfless
Piggy
Definition: (Informal) Small and resembling a pig, often used to describe eyes or a nose.
Synonyms: piggish, porcine
Antonyms: (No direct antonyms)
Definition: (Informal) Of or relating to a pig, often used in a childish or endearing context.
Synonyms: swinish, porcine
Antonyms: (No direct antonyms)
Adverb (Derived Form)
Piggishly
Definition: In a greedy, gluttonous, or slovenly manner.
Synonyms: greedily, gluttonously, slovenly, boorishly, brutishly
Antonyms: daintily, sparingly, meticulously, politely
Examples of Use
Books:
"All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others," declares the ruling class of pigs in George Orwell's Animal Farm, manipulating the other animals for their own gain.
Newspapers:
A recent article in The Guardian discussed the impact of rising feed costs on pig farmers, noting concerns about the viability of small-scale operations.
"Police Brutality Protests Erupt After Footage Shows Officer Beating Suspect: 'No More Pigs on Our Streets!'" read a headline in a local community newspaper.
Online Publications:
On Food52, a recipe titled "Braised Pork Belly: How to Cook a Whole Pig Belly to Perfection" garnered thousands of views and comments.
An opinion piece on Vox analyzed the historical context of the term "pig" as a derogatory label for law enforcement, tracing its evolution through various social movements.
Entertainment Mediums and Platforms:
Television Series: In an episode of The Simpsons (original airdate November 1993), Homer Simpson famously adopts a pig he names "Spider-Pig," leading to a humorous, if chaotic, sequence of events.
Film: The animated film Babe (released August 1995) centers on a charming little pig who dreams of becoming a sheepdog, captivating audiences worldwide.
Music: Pink Floyd's iconic album Animals (released January 1977) features the song "Pigs (Three Different Ones)," a critique of societal figures, with the pig serving as a metaphor for corrupt and powerful individuals.
Video Games: In the popular game Minecraft, players can encounter and raise pigs, which are a source of food and can be ridden.
General Public Discourse:
During a local farmers' market conversation, one vendor remarked, "My favorite part of the fair is seeing all the prize-winning pigs."
A student complained to a friend after a large meal, "Ugh, I totally pigged out on pizza last night. I feel so full."
At a political rally, a protester's sign read, "Don't let them make a pig's ear out of this policy!"
10 Quotes Using Pig
"All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others." – The Pigs, Animal Farm by George Orwell
"A pig in a parlor is still a pig." (Proverb)
"I believe in the pig as a sacred animal." (Salvador Dalí)
"You can put lipstick on a pig, but it's still a pig." (Common idiom, famously used by Barack Obama in 2008)
"Why, you are nothing but a common, ordinary, dirty little pig!" – Wilbur, Charlotte's Web by E.B. White
"Poverty makes you a pig." (Ernest Hemingway, A Farewell to Arms)
"Don't throw pearls before pigs." (Biblical proverb, Matthew 7:6)
"It is easier to control a dozen pigs than one man." (Lao Tzu)
"The pig is an animal, a living creature." (Temple Grandin)
"If you wrestle with a pig, you both get dirty, but the pig enjoys it." (Common saying, often attributed to George Bernard Shaw but with uncertain origin)
Etymology
The word "pig" has a bit of a mysterious past, much like the word "dog."
It comes from Middle English, where it was spelled "pigge." Interestingly, back then (around the 13th century), "pigge" originally referred specifically to a young pig or piglet. The more general words for the adult animal were "swine" (which is still used today, especially collectively) or "sow" (for a female) and "boar" (for a male).
While its exact origins aren't perfectly clear, it's thought to have come from an Old English word, *picga, which only appeared in compound words like "picgbrēad" (meaning "pig-fodder" or "mast," like acorns pigs eat). This suggests it was probably a very old word for the animal or its food.
By the early 14th century, the word "pig" started to be used more broadly for any swine, regardless of age or sex, replacing the older terms in common speech. The sense of "a dirty or contemptible person" came a bit later, in the 1500s.
Phrases + Idioms Containing the term Eagle
Eagles are more often used as metaphors for strength, vision, or freedom. However, here are some phrases and idioms that use "eagle" or similar concepts:
"Eagle eyes": This describes someone with very sharp eyesight, like an eagle.
"Soar like an eagle": This idiom encourages someone to reach great heights, achieve ambitious goals, or experience freedom and independence.
"Have an eagle's eye for detail": Similar to "eagle eyes," this emphasizes someone's keen observation and ability to spot small things.
"Rise like an eagle": This idiom suggests overcoming challenges and achieving success, much like an eagle ascending into the sky.
Here's why there might not be many idioms directly using "eagle":
Eagles are symbols: Eagles are powerful symbols, so their meaning is often conveyed through metaphors and comparisons rather than direct idioms.
Less common in everyday speech: Compared to animals like dogs or cats, eagles are less common in everyday life, leading to fewer idioms directly related to them.
Vocabulary-Based Stories from SEA
Source Information
Definition of pig from The Academic Glossary at Self Exploration Academy, a Urikville Press Publication. © All rights reserved.
