pigsticking

/'pig,stikiɳ/
Học thuật
Thân thiện
Definition

Noun: - The sport of hunting wild boar with spears: "Pigsticking" refers specifically to the traditional and often dangerous equestrian sport of pursuing and killing wild boars using a spear or lance, typically while on horseback.

Examples of Usage
  • Noun:
    • Pigsticking was a popular and prestigious sport among British officers in colonial India.
    • The thrill of pigsticking lies in the close-quarters combat with a formidable animal.
Advanced Usage
  • The term can be used metaphorically to describe a difficult, messy, or confrontational task.
    • Negotiating that contract felt like a bit of pigsticking.
  • It can appear in historical or anthropological contexts describing traditional hunting practices.
    • The book details the rituals and techniques of pigsticking in 19th-century India.
Variants and Related Words
  • Pigstick (verb, rare): To hunt wild boar with a spear.
    • They went to pigstick in the forest.
  • Pig-sticker (noun): A colloquial term for a large knife or spear used for hunting.
    • He carried a sharp pig-sticker on his belt.
Synonyms
  • Boar hunting: The general activity of hunting wild boar.
  • Spear hunting: Hunting with a spear, which may include other game.
Notes on Meaning
  • Primary Meaning: The core meaning is the specific historical sport involving horses, riders, and spears against wild boar.
  • Secondary/Figurative Meaning: It can be used informally to evoke a sense of a chaotic, arduous, or aggressive struggle.
Noun
  1. the sport of hunting wild boar with spears