swine

[ swahyn ]

noun

, plural swine.

1. any stout, cloven-hoofed artiodactyl of the Old World family Suidae, having a thick hide sparsely covered with coarse hair, a disklike snout, and an often short, tasseled tail: now of worldwide distribution and hunted or raised for its meat and other products. Compare hog, pig ¹, wild boar.
2. the domestic hog, Sus scrofa.
3. a coarse, gross, or brutishly sensual person.
4. a contemptible person.

swine

/ swaɪn /

noun

1. swines a coarse or contemptible person
2. swine another name for a pig

Derived Forms

• ˈswineˌlike, adjective
• ˈswinishness, noun
• ˈswinishly, adverb
• ˈswinish, adjective

Other Words From

• swinelike adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of swine¹

before 900; Middle English; Old English swīn; cognate with German Schwein hog, Latin suīnus (adj.) porcine; akin to sow ²

Word History and Origins

Origin of swine¹

Old English swīn; related to Old Norse svīn, Gothic swein, Latin suīnus relating to swine

Idioms and Phrases

see cast pearls before swine .

Example Sentences

Oregon state and federal officials confirmed Wednesday that H5N1 bird flu was found in a pig living Crook County — the first such swine infection reported in the current outbreak.

From Los Angeles Times

Mr Bradshaw said African swine fever "could spread very rapidly through our pig herd and have huge, huge implications".

From BBC

The 2009 swine flu strain arose from the recombination of several strains over years to become more transmissible in humans.

From Salon

For example, when H1N1, also known as swine flu, emerged in Mexico in the spring of 2009, tens of thousands of mild cases went undetected, causing health authorities to overestimate the severity of the disease.

From Salon

The initial cause of it can be traced back to 2009 and the swine flu pandemic.

From BBC

Related Words

• blackguard
• bounder
• cad
• cur
• knave
• rogue
• rotter
• scoundrel
• varlet
• worm
• wretch