sucking-pig

A farmer carries a small sucking-pig in his arms.

Definition

Noun: - A young pig that is still suckling: "sucking-pig" refers to a very young pig, typically still nursing from its mother, that is often prepared and cooked whole for a meal, especially in traditional or festive dishes.

Usage Examples

• (A young pig, still nursing, cooked whole.)
• (A young pig prepared as a dish.)

Advanced Usage

• "sucking-pig" is primarily a culinary term, used to describe the animal at a specific stage of development (still suckling) and the dish made from it. It is rarely used in general conversation outside of cooking or farming contexts.
  • The suckling pig was marinated with herbs and spices before roasting. (The young pig was prepared with seasonings.)

Variants and Related Words

• Suckling pig (n): an alternative spelling (more common in modern English) for "sucking-pig".

  • They ordered a suckling pig for the celebration. (A young pig prepared as food.)

• Suckling (adj/n): (as adjective) still nursing; (as noun) a young mammal that is still feeding on its mother's milk.

  • The suckling lamb stayed close to its mother. (The young lamb still nursing.)

Synonyms

• Piglet: a young pig, but not necessarily still suckling.
• Weaner: a young pig that has been separated from its mother’s milk, but may be close in age to a sucking-pig.

Related Idioms

• There are no common idioms using "sucking-pig" directly. However, in culinary contexts, "sucking-pig" is often associated with phrases like:
  • "Roast suckling pig": a traditional dish.

    • The centrepiece of the banquet was a roast suckling pig. (The main dish was a whole young pig roasted.)