What does kegged mean?
Kegged means having a large, rounded belly shaped rather like a barrel. The comparison is visual rather than an assertion of weight, so the word can describe a person or animal whose midsection is noticeably full and rounded. It is uncommon but clearly understandable, and its language draws on the traditional image of a keg as a stout, barrel-shaped container. In humorous or literary writing, “kegged” can lend a vivid physical detail to a portrait, often with a gently comic effect. It should not be used as a formal euphemism for being overweight, nor is it normally intended as an insult. Outside deliberately descriptive or whimsical contexts, alternatives such as “potbellied” or “round-bellied” are more conventional.
adjectiveHaving a rounded, bulging belly resembling a small barrel; pot-bellied.
- Having a large, rounded belly; pot-bellied.
"The farmer's old dog was broad-backed and kegged with age."
"A kegged farmer in a linen shirt stood by the gate."
"The cartoon portrayed him as a cheerful, kegged man holding a tankard."
Kegged turns the old image of a barrel-shaped belly into a vivid, slightly humorous description.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does kegged come from?
“Kegged” was formed from the older word “keg,” which historically denoted a small barrel or cask, together with the participial ending “-ed.” Its sense developed through the traditional comparison between a rounded human or animal belly and the shape of such a container. The development of the English word “keg” involved older forms whose precise linguistic ancestry is not wholly certain.
Related word forms
How kegged is actually used
This is a relatively uncommon and somewhat literary or humorous word. It is normally used to describe a person or animal with a conspicuously rounded belly.