hog

1 of 2

noun

ˈhȯg How to pronounce hog (audio)
ˈhäg
plural hogs also hog
1
a
: a domesticated swine especially when weighing more than 120 pounds (54 kilograms) compare pig sense 1a
b
: any of various animals related to the domesticated swine
2
usually hogg British : a young unshorn sheep
also : wool from such a sheep
3
a
: a selfish, gluttonous, or filthy person
b
: one that uses something to excess
old cars that are gas hogs

hog

2 of 2

verb

hogged; hogging

transitive verb

1
: to cut (a horse's mane) short : roach
2
: to cause to arch
3
: to take in excess of one's due
hog the credit
4
: to tear up or shred (some material, such as waste wood) into bits by machine

intransitive verb

: to become curved upward in the middle
used of a ship's bottom or keel

Examples of hog in a Sentence

Noun Don't be such a hog! Other people have to eat too! The new software is a real memory hog. Verb He's been hogging the remote control all night.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
As part of its broader strategic initiatives, Smithfield announced its plan to transfer some hog farming operations to a joint venture with Murphy Family Ventures in North Carolina. Quartz Intelligence Newsroom, Quartz, 28 Jan. 2025 Headline-grabbing evidence of pollution from hog farms in the 1990s pushed the state to effectively stop the hog industry’s growth, said Bill Holman, who led what is now the state DEQ from late 1998 to 2001. Gavin Off, Charlotte Observer, 26 Jan. 2025
Verb
History’s greatest magnet is luring capital from every corner of the globe, hogging wealth needed to finance budget deficits, keep bond yields stable and support equity markets. William Pesek, Forbes, 15 Jan. 2025 Sutherland keeps us guessing, while establishing one of the more heartening qualities of his career: a general disinterest in hogging the spotlight and a willingness to cede it to his female co-stars. A.a. Dowd, Vulture, 25 June 2024 See all Example Sentences for hog 

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English hogge, from Old English hogg

First Known Use

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

1769, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of hog was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near hog

Cite this Entry

“Hog.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hog. Accessed 1 Feb. 2025.

Kids Definition

hog

1 of 2 noun
ˈhȯg How to pronounce hog (audio)
ˈhäg
plural hogs also hog
1
a
: a domesticated swine especially when weighing more than 120 pounds (54 kilograms) compare pig sense 1a
b
: any of various animals related to the domesticated swine
2
: a selfish, greedy, or filthy person
hoggish
ˈhȯg-ish
ˈhäg-
adjective
hoggishly adverb
hoggishness noun

hog

2 of 2 verb
hogged; hogging
: to take more than one's share

More from Merriam-Webster on hog

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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