What does pork mean?
Pork is the common English word for meat from a pig, a food that may be roasted, grilled, fried, cured, or made into products such as bacon, ham, and sausage. As an uncountable noun, it usually names the meat collectively rather than individual portions, though specific cuts have names such as “pork chop,” “pork belly,” and “pork tenderloin.” The word also has an informal chiefly American political sense associated with government spending intended to benefit particular constituencies or win votes. In the expression “pork-barrel spending,” “pork” suggests the distribution of public benefits for political advantage. Its vocabulary history is especially revealing: the word entered English through Old French pork, ultimately from Latin porcus, “pig.” Because pork comes from the same Latin root as porcine, meaning “of or relating to pigs,” and porcupine, whose name historically combines porcus with the Latin word for “thorn,” the word provides a useful reminder that English vocabulary often preserves connections among language, food, animals, and human history.
The flesh of a pig, especially the part used as food.
"They bought a large piece of pork at the market."
Usually uncountable when referring to the meat; specific portions are named individually.
To allocate government money or benefits in order to gain political support.
"The mayor used the new program to pork favors to friendly districts."
Informal and chiefly American; often used with “up” or in the expression “pork-barrel politics.”
Rare; pork is normally an uncountable mass noun. The plural may be used when referring to separate portions or instances of pork.
"The restaurant offered two porks with different sauces."
From Latin porcus, meaning “pig,” pork ultimately carries the history of one of humanity’s oldest domesticated animals.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does pork come from?
English pork comes through Old French pork from Vulgar Latin porcus, the Latin word for “pig.” The Middle English form established the modern English word, while the underlying Latin root also produced English porcine. Latin porcus also contributed to porcupine, formed historically from porcus and a word meaning “thorn” because of the animal’s quills.
Related word forms
How pork is actually used
Pork is normally an uncountable noun when referring to the meat. The political verb is informal and is chiefly associated with American usage; the expression “pork-barrel spending” is more established than the verb by itself.
Easily confused with pork
A pig is the animal, whereas pork is the meat obtained from that animal.
Beef is meat from cattle, while pork is meat from pigs.