pig

Etymology 1

From Middle English pigge (“pig, pigling”) (originally a term for a young pig, with adult pigs being swyn), apparently from Old English *picga (attested only in compounds, such as picgbrēad (“mast, pig-fodder”)), from Proto-West Germanic *piggō, *puggō (“piglet”). Compare Middle Dutch pogge, puggen, pigge, pegsken (“pigling”), Middle Low German pugge, pûke (“piglet”). Pokorny suggests this root might be somehow related to *bū-, *bew- (“to blow; swell”), which could account for the alternation between "pig" and "big". A connection to early modern Dutch bigge (contemporary big (“piglet”)), West Frisian bigge (“pigling”), and similar terms in Middle Low German is sometimes proposed, "but the phonology is difficult". Some sources say the words are "almost certainly not" related, others consider a relation "probable, but not certain". The slang sense of "police officer" is attested since at least 1785.

noun

1. Any of several mammalian species of the genus Sus, having cloven hooves, bristles and a nose 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.
2. (specifically) A 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, page I-9
3. (uncountable) The edible meat of such an animal; pork.
   Some religions prohibit their adherents from eating pig.
   "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, page 196
4. (uncountable) A light pinkish-red colour, like that of a pig (also called pig pink).
   pig:
   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
5. (derogatory, slang) Someone 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!
6. (derogatory, slang) A lecherous or sexist man.
   She considered him a pig as he invariably stared at her bosom when they talked.
7. (derogatory, slang) A 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.
8. (derogatory) A very obese person.
9. (now chiefly US, UK, Australia, derogatory, slang) A police officer.
   The protester shouted, “Don't give in to the pigs!” as he was arrested.
   There will be no pictures of pigs shooting down brothers on the instant replay 1971, Gil Scott-Heron (lyrics and music), “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
   Got a mind for the undies I'm tryna stay far from the pigs 2017, “All This”, performed by Mayhem (Uptop)
10. (informal) A difficult problem.
    Hrm... this one's a real pig: I've been banging my head against the wall over it for hours!
    Chewing-gum is a pig to get out of your hair.
11. (countable and uncountable) A block of cast metal.
    The conveyor carried the pigs from the smelter to the freight cars.
    After the ill-advised trade, the investor was stuck with worthless options for 10,000 tons of iron pig.
12. The mold in which a block of metal is cast.
    The pig was cracked, and molten metal was oozing from the side.
13. A 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
    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
14. (engineering) A 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.
15. (US, military, slang) The 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.
16. (uncountable) A 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.
17. (UK, slang, obsolete) A sixpence.

verb

1. (of swine) To give birth.
   The black sow pigged at seven this morning.
2. (intransitive) To greedily consume (especially food).
   They were pigging on the free food at the bar.
   "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. (intransitive) To huddle or lie together like pigs, in one bed.
4. (intransitive) To live together in a crowded filthy manner.
5. (transitive, engineering) To clean (a pipeline) using a pig (the device).

Etymology 2

Unknown. See piggin.

noun

1. (Scotland) earthenware, or an earthenware shard
2. An earthenware hot-water jar to warm a bed; a stone bed warmer