# pork

/ˈpɔɹk/ (US) · /pˈɔːk/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/pork
Updated: 2026-06-19

## Senses

### 1. meat from a pig

noun · CEFR A2

the meat from a pig that people eat.

For teachers: the flesh of a pig used as food. Uncountable in its culinary sense.

- We are having roast pork with apples and potatoes for dinner tonight.
- The chef recommended slow-roasting the pork to ensure the meat remained tender while the skin became perfectly crisp.

### 2. government spending

noun · CEFR C1 · American English · Informal

money spent by a government on local projects to win votes.

For teachers: government spending for localized projects secured solely or primarily to bring money to a representative's district. Often used in the phrase 'pork barrel politics'.

- The new bridge was criticized as a piece of political pork.
- Critics argued that the bill was loaded with unnecessary pork designed to secure the senator's reelection in the upcoming primary.

Usage: Usually uncountable when referring to the spending itself.

### 3. to have sex

verb · CEFR C2 · Slang · Vulgar

a very rude way to say having sex with someone.

For teachers: to engage in sexual intercourse with someone. Transitive and highly informal.

- He made a crude joke about porking someone he met at the bar.
- The film relied heavily on low-brow humor, featuring several characters who spoke exclusively in vulgarities about porking their classmates.

Teaching tip: This is a crude, male-centric term; learners should avoid using it as it is likely to cause offense in most social settings.

## Examples

- We are having roast pork for dinner tonight.
- Many traditional recipes in this region use ground pork mixed with herbs to fill savory dumplings.
- While the consumption of pork is strictly prohibited in certain religious traditions, it remains the most widely consumed meat globally, particularly across East Asia and Europe.

---

From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.