hog

American  

[hawg, hog] / hɔg, hɒg /

noun

1. a hoofed mammal of the Old World family Suidae, order Artiodactyla, comprising boars and swine.

2. a domesticated swine weighing 120 pounds (54 kilograms) or more, raised for market.

3. a selfish, gluttonous, or filthy person.

4. Slang.

   1. a large, heavy motorcycle.

   2. an impressively large luxury automobile.

5. British. Also hogg,

   1. a sheep about one year old that has not been shorn.

   2. the wool shorn from such a sheep.

   3. any of several other domestic animals, as a bullock, that are one year old.

6. Railroads Slang. a locomotive.

7. a machine for shredding wood.

8. Curling. a stone that stops before reaching the hog score.

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verb (used with object)

hogs, present (3rd person singular) hogged, past participle, past hogging present participle

1. to appropriate selfishly; take more than one's share of.

2. to arch (the back) upward like that of a hog.

3. roach.

4. (in machine-shop practice) to cut deeply into (a metal bar or slab) to reduce it to a shape suitable for final machining.

5. to shred (a piece of wood).

verb (used without object)

hogs, present (3rd person singular) hogged, past participle, past hogging present participle

1. Nautical. (of a hull) to have less than the proper amount of sheer because of structural weakness; arch.

idioms

1. live high off / on the hog, to be in prosperous circumstances. Also eat high off the hog.

2. go the whole hog. see whole hog. Also go whole hog.

hog British  

/ hɒɡ /

noun

1. a domesticated pig, esp a castrated male weighing more than 102 kg

2. any artiodactyl mammal of the family Suidae; pig

3. Also: hogg.  dialect another name for hogget

4. informal a selfish, greedy, or slovenly person

5. nautical a stiff brush, for scraping a vessel's bottom

6. nautical the amount or extent to which a vessel is hogged Compare sag

7. another word for camber

8. slang a large powerful motorcycle

9. informal to do something thoroughly or unreservedly

   if you are redecorating one room, why not go the whole hog and paint the entire house?

10. informal to have an extravagant lifestyle

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verb

1. slang to take more than one's share of

2. to arch (the back) like a hog

3. to cut (the mane) of (a horse) very short

hog More Idioms  

1. see go hog wild; go whole hog; high off the hog; road hog.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• hogger
  noun
• unhogged
  adjective
• hoglike
  adjective

Conjugated Forms

Present

• have hogged
  perfect
• has hogged
  perfect 3rd person singular
• am hogging
  progressive 1st person singular
• have been hogging
  perfect progressive
• hogging
  participle
• are hogging
  progressive
• has been hogging
  perfect progressive 3rd person singular
• is hogging
  progressive 3rd person singular
• hogs
  singular 3rd person

Past

• had hogged
  perfect
• were hogging
  progressive plural
• had been hogging
  perfect progressive
• hogged
  simple
• hogged
  participle
• was hogging
  progressive singular

Future

• will hog
  simple
• will have hogged
  perfect
• will be hogging
  progressive
• will have been hogging
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of hog

First recorded before 1100; Middle English hoge, Old English hogg; further origin uncertain; perhaps from Celtic; compare Welsh hwch, Cornish hogh “swine”

Explanation

A hog is a pig that's kept on a farm. You can also use the word as a verb, like when you act like a greedy hog. Try not to hog the pie, and stick to your allotted portion. Though the primary definition of a hog is "domesticated pig," it sometimes refers to wild swine, including feral pigs and warthogs. Hogs are fairly intelligent and social animals, and some of their tendencies are dog-like, including wagging their tails to express pleasure. If your brother shoves cake in his mouth, you might call him a hog, or say, "Hey, don't hog the cake!" Hog originally referred to a one year old pig, but also a horse or sheep of a similar age. "Huckleberry Finn" contains the first known use of hog as a verb meaning "consume greedily."

Example Sentences

Harley-Davidson HOG -5.19%decrease; red down pointing triangle spent years doubling down on its baby-boomer base with expensive cruisers and touring bikes.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 5, 2026

Klau: "To stay with the cooking analogy: HOG corresponds to a compressed or shrunk cookbook, from which the chef can now select the recipes that are suitable for all guests."

From Science Daily • Dec. 21, 2023

The Godfather → THE HOG FARTED: A Mafioso wakes up with a live animal in his bed.

From Washington Post • Aug. 30, 2018

Hober said Bucks County HOG raised $12,000 last year for the Muscular Dystrophy Association and has donated to organizations fighting against cancer.

From Washington Times • Jul. 29, 2017

THE HOG IN ENGLAND.—From time immemorial, in England, this animal has been esteemed as of the highest importance.

From The Book of Household Management by Beeton, Mrs. (Isabella Mary)

Related Words

• boar
• pig
• piglet
• swine