hog
v. · n.-
1 to take more than your share (v.) B2 Upper Intermediate Informalto take or use most of something in a greedy way so that others cannot have any.
to monopolise a resource or space greedily or selfishly. Transitive; requires a direct object.
ExampleStop hogging the remote control and let someone else choose a channel.
ExampleHe tended to hog the conversation during board meetings, rarely allowing his colleagues to voice their concerns regarding the budget.
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2 a pig (n.) B2 Upper Intermediatea large pig, especially one that is fully grown.
a domesticated swine, specifically an adult animal raised for meat.
ExampleThe farmer kept several hogs in the large pen behind the barn.
ExampleThe livestock competition featured various breeds of hogs, each judged on their physical proportions and health.
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3 a greedy person (n.) C1 Advanced Informala person who is greedy or selfish.
a person who acts in a gluttonous or selfishly acquisitive manner.
ExampleDon't be such a hog; leave some pizza for the rest of us.
ExampleIn the local community, he was known as a corporate hog who prioritised personal profit over the welfare of his employees.
- glutton
- miser
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4 a large motorcycle (n.) C1 Advanced Slanga very large and heavy motorcycle.
a large, heavy motorcycle, often specifically referring to a Harley-Davidson. Frequently used within biker subcultures.
ExampleHe spent every weekend cleaning his hog before taking it out for a long ride.
ExampleThe roar of dozens of hogs filled the air as the motorcycle club rode through the small mountain town.
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5 to curve upward (v.) C2 Proficiency Technical Sciencewhen the middle of a ship's floor curves upward.
to cause the middle of a ship's hull or keel to arch upwards while the ends droop, typically due to uneven loading or heavy seas.
ExampleThe old wooden ship began to hog because it was loaded incorrectly.
ExampleIf the cargo is concentrated at the bow and stern, the hull may hog, putting dangerous structural stress on the keel.
UsageThe verb is often used in the passive voice or as a participial adjective ('a hogged hull').
From Middle English hog, from Old English hogg, hocg (“hog”), possibly from Old Norse hǫggva (“to strike, chop, cut”), from Proto-Germanic hawwaną (“to hew, forge”), from Proto-Indo-European kewh₂- (“to beat, hew, forge”). Cognate with Old High German houwan, Old Saxon hauwan, Old English hēawan (English hew). Hog originally meant a castrated male pig, hence a sense of “the cut one”. (Compare hogget for a castrated male sheep.) More at hew. Alternatively from a Brythonic language, from Proto-Celtic sukkos, from Proto-Indo-European suH- and thus cognate with Welsh hwch (“sow”) and Cornish hogh (“pig”).
Clipping of quahog.