suckling pig
3
6.6
- noun
- /ˈsʌklɪŋ pɪg/
:
cochinillo
- She said, "Lisa, why don't you go over to Mr. Jackson's and buy us a suckling pig?"
- roast suckling pig
- roasted suckling pig
- whole suckling pig
Examples
-
Pork! It is pork! A whole suckling pig!
Fiction book (1999) -
I took twenty dollars to Mr. Jackson's and bought two suckling pigs and carried them home squealing in a burlap bag.
Fiction book (1997) -
At the table, the guests are eating the suckling pig.
Fiction book (1999) -
The suckling pig had just been served, with a large red apple in its mouth, when out of the blue, a member of the congregation appeared.
Fiction book (2002) -
They brought gifts of fruit and suckling pigs.
Fiction book (1991) -
Food stations will be set up with suckling pig, charcuterie, and porky goodness.
Blog text (15) -
The last time I had suckling pig was in Le Gavroche, Michel Roux Jnr's 2 Michelin star restaurant in London, and this was certainly on par with that.
Blog text (31) -
We have roast suckling pig, fresh baked kringlors with a honey pecan dipping sauce, seven-day-old lutefisk and lamb gookins.
-
The company partook of a lavish meal of roast suckling pig, poultry, and even the flesh of small native dogs, specially bred for the delectation of their masters.
Fiction book (1991) -
The chef prepared a tender suckling pig for the feast, which was served with a side of seasonal vegetables.
Synonyms
137
2.8
A young farm animal with a short nose and curly tail
62
1.0
A very young farm animal with a round body and short legs that still drinks its mother's milk
1
8.2
A young pig that still drinks its mother's milk
A whole very young pig roasted for a special meal
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning is directly compositional: 'suckling' denotes a young/nursing animal and 'pig' denotes the species, so a B1 learner who knows both words will infer it refers to a young pig still feeding from its mother. The typical culinary extension (roasting whole) is a conventional usage but does not obscure the basic, transparent referential meaning, which is cross-linguistically common.
Etymology
Suckling pig describes a small pig that is suckling its mother, meaning 'feeding on her milk'. Because these piglets are small and very tender, people have long roasted them whole for celebrations, so suckling pig today can mean both the young animal and the cooked dish.