noun

hog

noun

A domestic pig, especially a full-grown one raised for meat.

"The farmer kept forty hogs in the barn behind the house."

"Prices for hogs at market had risen sharply that autumn."

A greedy person who takes far more than their fair share of something.

"Don't be such a hog — leave some pizza for everyone else."

"He's a total hog when it comes to the office snacks."

Informal: a large, heavy motorcycle, especially a Harley-Davidson.

"He rode into town on his hog, engine rumbling."

verb

To take or use more than one's fair share; to monopolize.

"Stop hogging the remote and let someone else pick a show."

"She hogged the conversation all night, barely letting anyone else speak."

How to Use Hog

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishAs a noun, a pig — or someone greedy. As a verb, to selfishly take up more than your share.

Common mistake

In British English "hog" as a noun mostly means a pig raised for meat or a greedy person; as a verb ("to hog something") it works the same way on both sides of the Atlantic.

Common pairings

hog the spotlight hog the bathroom road hog raise hogs

Word Forms

hogged past tense, hogged past tense, hogs plural, hogs plural, hogs singular, hogs singular

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The farmer kept forty _____ in the barn behind the house.

Etymology

From Old English hogg, of uncertain origin — possibly linked to a Germanic root meaning "to cut" (an old hog was originally a castrated pig), or possibly borrowed from an early Celtic word for pig.

Rhymes for hog

quahog warthog hedgehog groundhog

See all rhymes for hog →