Hog vs. Pig — What's the Difference?
Edited by Tayyaba Rehman — By Fiza Rafique — Updated on November 2, 2023
A hog is typically a larger, mature pig, especially when over 120 lbs, while pig refers broadly to any domesticated swine.
Difference Between Hog and Pig
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Key Differences
A hog commonly refers to a domestic pig that has been raised to a size suitable for slaughter or sale, often weighing over 120 pounds. It signifies a stage in the pig’s lifecycle rather than a different species or breed. Pigs, in contrast, is a general term that encompasses all domestic swine regardless of age, size, or breed. It can refer to both young piglets and adults but is often associated with younger and smaller animals.
The term hog is used in agricultural contexts to define a pig that has reached a certain weight and is ready for the market. Pigs, on the other hand, might not necessarily be associated with the market; they can be raised as pets, for breeding, or for other farm roles before reaching the market weight of a hog.
In everyday language, hog might also be used colloquially to describe a person who is greedy or takes more than their share, reflecting the animal's historical reputation for gluttony. However, the word pig can carry a similar metaphorical usage, implying dirtiness or greediness, but can also be used in a more neutral or even affectionate context, especially when referring to pet pigs.
When discussing pork products, the term hog is rarely used; it is mostly a live-animal classification. Conversely, the term pig is widely recognized and is often used to refer to the source of pork products, regardless of the age or size of the animal when it was processed.
In summary, while both terms describe the same species—Sus scrofa domesticus—the main difference lies in their usage to signify the size and purpose of the animal. Hogs are more specifically defined and market-ready, while pigs can be of any size or age and are not necessarily destined for sale or slaughter.
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Comparison Chart
Size
Usually large and mature
Any size, often smaller
Age
Typically mature
Can be any age, from piglets to adults
Market Usage
Market-ready, over 120 lbs
Not necessarily market-ready
Colloquial Usage
Used to describe greed or excess
Can imply greed or dirtiness, but also used affectionately
Context of Rearing
Raised for slaughter or sale
Raised for various purposes, including pets
Compare with Definitions
Hog
Someone who takes more than their share.
He’s hogging all the blankets.
Pig
A domesticated swine of any age.
They raised pigs on their farm.
Hog
A big motorcycle (slang).
He roared by on his hog.
Pig
A young swine, also called a piglet.
The pig squealed for its mother.
Hog
To use or keep something selfishly.
She hogged the television all evening.
Pig
An offensive term for a dirty or greedy person.
He called the corrupt official a pig.
Hog
A domesticated pig, especially a castrated male reared for slaughter.
Pig
A pig is any of the animals in the genus Sus, within the even-toed ungulate family Suidae. Pigs include domestic pigs and their ancestor, the common Eurasian wild boar (Sus scrofa), along with other species.
Hog
A large motorcycle, in particular a Harley Davidson.
Pig
An omnivorous domesticated hoofed mammal with sparse bristly hair and a flat snout for rooting in the soil, kept for its meat.
Hog
A young sheep before the first shearing.
Pig
A greedy, dirty, or unpleasant person
I bet he's scoffed them all, greedy pig
Hog
Take or use most or all of (something) in an unfair or selfish way
He never hogged the limelight
Pig
A police officer
Were the pigs there when the windows were smashed or not?
Hog
Cause (a ship or its keel) to curve up in the centre and sag at the ends as a result of strain.
Pig
An oblong mass of iron or lead from a smelting furnace.
Hog
Any of various mammals of the family Suidae, which includes the domesticated pig as well as wild species, such as the wild boar and the warthog.
Pig
A device which fits snugly inside an oil or gas pipeline and is sent through it to clean or test the inside, or to act as a barrier.
Hog
A domesticated pig weighing over 54 kilograms (120 pounds).
Pig
Gorge oneself with food
Lovesick people pig out on chocolate
Hog
A self-indulgent, gluttonous, or filthy person.
Pig
Crowd together with other people in disorderly or dirty conditions
He didn't approve of the proposal to pig it in the studio
Hog
One that uses too much of something.
Pig
(of a sow) give birth to piglets; farrow.
Hog
Chiefly British A young sheep before it has been shorn.
Pig
Operate a pig within an oil or gas pipeline
They will carry out all trenching and pigging
Hog
The wool from this type of sheep.
Pig
Any of various mammals of the family Suidae, having short legs, hooves with two weight-bearing toes, bristly hair, and a cartilaginous snout used for digging, including the domesticated hog (Sus scrofa subsp. domestica syn. S. domesticus) and wild species such as the bushpig.
Hog
(Slang) A big, heavy motorcycle.
Pig
A domesticated hog, especially when weighing less than 54 kilograms (120 pounds).
Hog
(Informal) To take more than one's share of
Don't hog the couch.
Pig
The edible parts of one of these mammals.
Hog
To cause (the back) to arch like that of a hog.
Pig
(Informal) A person regarded as being piglike, greedy, or disgusting.
Hog
To cut (a horse's mane) short and bristly.
Pig
Derogatory Slang A police officer.
Hog
To shred (waste wood, for example) by machine.
Pig
A crude block of metal, chiefly iron or lead, poured from a smelting furnace.
Hog
(Nautical) To arch upward in the middle. Used of a ship's keel.
Pig
A mold in which such metal is cast.
Hog
Any animal belonging to the Suidae family of mammals, especially the pig, the warthog, and the boar.
Pig
Pig iron.
Hog
(specifically) An adult swine contrasted with a pig, a young swine.
Pig
To give birth to pigs; farrow.
Hog
(slang) A greedy person or thing; one who refuses to share.
Since the latest upgrade, this program has turned into a CPU hog.
Pig
Any of several mammalian species of the genus Sus, having cloven hooves, bristles and a nose adapted for digging; especially the domesticated animal Sus domesticus.
The man kept a pen with two pigs that he fed everything from carrots to cabbage.
Hog
(slang) A large motorcycle, particularly a Harley-Davidson.
Pig
(specifically) A young swine, a piglet contrasted with a hog, an adult swine.
Hog
(UK) A young sheep that has not been shorn.
Pig
(uncountable) The edible meat of such an animal; pork.
Some religions prohibit their adherents from eating pig.
Hog
(nautical) A rough, flat scrubbing broom for scrubbing a ship's bottom under water.
Pig
(uncountable) A light pinkish-red colour, like that of a pig (also called pig pink).
Hog
A device for mixing and stirring the pulp from which paper is made.
Pig
Someone who overeats or eats rapidly and noisily.
You gluttonous pig! Now that you've eaten all the cupcakes, there will be none for the party!
Hog
A shilling coin; its value, 12 old pence.
Pig
A dirty or slovenly person.
He was a pig and his apartment a pigpen; take-away containers and pizza boxes in a long, moldy stream lined his counter tops.
Hog
A tanner, a sixpence coin; its value.
Pig
(derogatory) A very obese person.
Hog
A half-crown coin; its value, 30 old pence.
Pig
A police officer.
The protester shouted, “Don't give in to the pigs!” as he was arrested.
Hog
(nautical) the effect of the middle of the hull of a ship rising while the ends droop
Pig
(informal) A difficult problem.
Hrm... this one's a real pig: I've been banging my head against the wall over it for hours!
Hog
(transitive) To greedily take more than one's share, to take precedence at the expense of another or others.
Hey! Quit hogging all the blankets.
Pig
A block of cast metal.
The conveyor carried the pigs from the smelter to the freight cars.
After the ill-advised trade, the investor was stuck with worthless options for 10,000 tons of iron pig.
Hog
(transitive) To clip the mane of a horse, making it short and bristly.
Pig
The mold in which a block of metal is cast.
The pig was cracked, and molten metal was oozing from the side.
Hog
(nautical) To scrub with a hog, or scrubbing broom.
Pig
A lead container used for radioactive waste.
Hog
To cause the keel of a ship to arch upwards (the opposite of sag).
Pig
(engineering) A device for cleaning or inspecting the inside of an oil or gas pipeline, or for separating different substances within the pipeline. Named for the pig-like squealing noise made by their progress.
Unfortunately, the pig sent to clear the obstruction got lodged in a tight bend, adding to the problem.
Hog
A quadruped of the genus Sus, and allied genera of Suidæ; esp., the domesticated varieties of Sus scrofa, kept for their fat and meat, called, respectively, lard and pork; swine; porker; specifically, a castrated boar; a barrow.
Pig
The general-purpose M60 machine gun, considered to be heavy and bulky.
Unfortunately, the M60 is about twenty-four pounds and is very unbalanced. You try carrying the pig around the jungle and see how you feel.
Hog
A mean, filthy, or gluttonous fellow.
Pig
(uncountable) A simple dice game in which players roll the dice as many times as they like, either accumulating a greater score or losing previous points gained.
Hog
A young sheep that has not been shorn.
Pig
A sixpence.
Hog
A rough, flat scrubbing broom for scrubbing a ship's bottom under water.
Pig
(Scottish) earthenware, or an earthenware shard
Hog
A device for mixing and stirring the pulp of which paper is made.
Pig
An earthenware hot-water jar to warm a bed; a stone bed warmer
Hog
To cut short like bristles; as, to hog the mane of a horse.
Pig
(of swine) to give birth.
The black sow pigged at seven this morning.
Hog
To scrub with a hog, or scrubbing broom.
Pig
(intransitive) To greedily consume (especially food).
They were pigging on the free food at the bar.
Hog
To become bent upward in the middle, like a hog's back; - said of a ship broken or strained so as to have this form.
Pig
(intransitive) To huddle or lie together like pigs, in one bed.
Hog
A person regarded as greedy and pig-like
Pig
(intransitive) To live together in a crowded filthy manner.
Hog
A sheep up to the age of one year; one yet to be sheared
Pig
To clean (a pipeline) using a pig the device.
Hog
Domestic swine
Pig
A piggin.
Hog
Take greedily; take more than one's share
Pig
The young of swine, male or female; also, any swine; a hog.
Hog
A mature pig raised for slaughter.
The farmer took the hogs to market.
Pig
Any wild species of the genus Sus and related genera.
Hog
A large, heavy farm animal.
The hog wallowed in the mud.
Pig
An oblong mass of cast iron, lead, or other metal. See Mine pig, under Mine.
Pig
One who is hoggish; a greedy person.
Pig
To bring forth (pigs); to bring forth in the manner of pigs; to farrow.
Pig
To huddle or lie together like pigs, in one bed.
Pig
Domestic swine
Pig
A coarse obnoxious person
Pig
A person regarded as greedy and pig-like
Pig
Uncomplimentary terms for a policeman
Pig
Mold consisting of a bed of sand in which pig iron is cast
Pig
A crude block of metal (lead or iron) poured from a smelting furnace
Pig
Live like a pig, in squalor
Pig
Eat greedily;
He devoured three sandwiches
Pig
Give birth;
Sows farrow
Pig
Used affectionately for pet swine.
She dressed her pig in a cute sweater.
Pig
A term for police officers, often derogatory (slang).
The graffiti read No pigs allowed.
Common Curiosities
Can the terms hog and pig be used interchangeably?
In general conversation, yes, but in farming, they have specific meanings.
At what age is a pig considered a hog?
There’s no specific age; it's when they reach the market weight of over 120 pounds.
Do hog and pig have the same scientific name?
Yes, both are Sus scrofa domesticus.
Are all pigs eventually called hogs?
Not all; only those raised to a certain size for the market are typically called hogs.
What’s a hog in investment terminology?
It's slang for an investor who is seen as greedy.
What makes a pig a hog?
A pig becomes a hog when it reaches a weight suitable for market, usually over 120 pounds.
Is a hog a specific breed of pig?
No, hog refers to the size and purpose of a pig, not a specific breed.
Is a boar a hog or a pig?
A boar is an uncastrated male pig and can be referred to as a hog if it’s of market size.
Why are motorcycles sometimes called hogs?
It's slang, originally referring to big Harley-Davidson bikes.
Can hog be used as a verb?
Yes, meaning to take or use selfishly.
Are piglets called hogs?
No, piglets are too young and small to be called hogs.
Is ‘hog’ ever used in a positive context?
It’s not common but can be used positively when referring to size in farming contexts.
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Fiza RafiqueFiza Rafique is a skilled content writer at AskDifference.com, where she meticulously refines and enhances written pieces. Drawing from her vast editorial expertise, Fiza ensures clarity, accuracy, and precision in every article. Passionate about language, she continually seeks to elevate the quality of content for readers worldwide.
Edited by
Tayyaba RehmanTayyaba Rehman is a distinguished writer, currently serving as a primary contributor to askdifference.com. As a researcher in semantics and etymology, Tayyaba's passion for the complexity of languages and their distinctions has found a perfect home on the platform. Tayyaba delves into the intricacies of language, distinguishing between commonly confused words and phrases, thereby providing clarity for readers worldwide.
