razorback hog
- noun
- /ˈreɪzərˌbæk hɔg/
- US
:
cerdo razorback
- In the southeastern United States, the razorback hog is known for its thin body and strong legs.
Examples
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The razorback hog ran swiftly through the forest, its ridged back making it easily recognizable.
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During our hike, we spotted a razorback hog foraging for food near the creek.
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I wouldn't feed this garbage to a razorback hog.
Synonyms
1
9.3
A wild pig with long legs and a ridged back found in the southeastern United States
A wild pig with a raised ridge along its back that lives in the southern United States
Surface Forms
Morphology
The compound is fully compositional: 'razorback' already denotes a wild hog with a ridged back and 'hog' denotes a large pig, so a learner who knows both constituent meanings can infer that a 'razorback hog' is a wild hog with a ridged back. This modifier+head noun pattern is a regular, cross-linguistic way to form descriptive animal names, making the expression transparent.
Etymology
The noun razorback hog comes from the animal's look: a wild hog with a sharp, raised ridge along its back that people thought looked like a 'razor', so they called it a razorback. That's why the name means a wild pig with a ridged back found in the southern United States.