pork

English

Etymology

From Middle English pork, porc, via Anglo-Norman, from Old French porc (swine, hog, pig; pork), from Latin porcus (domestic hog, pig).

Cognate with Old English fearh (piglet). Doublet of farrow.

Used in English since the 14th century, and as a term of abuse since the 17th century.

US politics sense is related to pork barrel. The verb is from the black American form of poke.

Pronunciation

Noun

pork (countable and uncountable, plural porks)

  1. (chiefly uncountable) The meat of a pig.
    Synonyms: pigflesh, pigmeat, swineflesh, swinemeat, the other white meat
    The cafeteria serves pork on Tuesdays.
  2. (US politics, slang, derogatory) Funding proposed or requested by a member of Congress for special interests or their constituency as opposed to the good of the country as a whole.
  3. (MLE, slang, collective) law enforcement, those who side with criminal prosecution
    Synonyms: bacon, pigs, swine; see also Thesaurus:police
    Meronym: porky (one member of law enforcement, policeman)

Derived terms

Descendants

  • Japanese: ポーク (pōku)

Translations

See also

Verb

pork (third-person singular simple present porks, present participle porking, simple past and past participle porked)

  1. (transitive, slang, vulgar, usually of a male) To have sex with (someone).
    Synonyms: see Thesaurus:copulate with
    • 1978, Harold Ramis, Douglas Kenney, Chris Miller, Animal House (motion picture), spoken by Boon (Peter Riegert), Universal Pictures:
      Marlene! Don't tell me you're gonna pork Marlene Desmond!

References

  1. pork”, in Dictionary.com Unabridged, Dictionary.com, LLC, 1995–present.

Middle English

Alternative forms

Etymology

From Old French porc, from Latin porcus. Compare farowen.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /pɔrk/, /pɔːrk/

Noun

pork (plural porkes)

  1. pork (pig meat)
  2. swine, pig

Descendants

References

This article is issued from Wiktionary. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.