razorbacked hog
- noun
- /ˈreɪzərˌbækt hɔg/
- US
:
cerdo razorback
- The farmers tried to keep the razorbacked hog from rooting in their vegetable gardens.
Examples
-
In parts of the rural South, razorbacked hogs still roam the forests in small herds.
-
Locals warned us to be cautious of aggressive razorbacked hogs in the area.
-
The razorbacked hog roamed freely in the woods.
-
Have you ever seen a razorbacked hog in the wild?
-
In parts of the rural South, razorbacked hogs still roam the forests in small herds.
-
Locals warned us to be cautious of aggressive razorbacked hogs in the area.
-
The farmers tried to keep the razorbacked hog from rooting in their vegetable gardens.
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 thin body, long legs, and a ridged back found in the southeastern United States
Surface Forms
Morphology
razorbacked + hog
The phrase is compositionally built — it describes a hog that has a distinctive 'razor-like' or ridged back — so a learner who knows the relevant constituents would likely infer it denotes a hog with a notable back. However, 'razorback(ed)' is a regional/lexicalized term for a specific kind of wild/semi‑wild hog and includes additional nuances (thin body, long legs, regional connotation) that are not fully predictable from the parts, so full meaning may not be clear to a B1 learner without exposure.
Etymology
Razorbacked hog gets its name from the sharp ridge of raised hair along the animal's back — people thought this ridge looked like a razor on the back. So 'razorbacked hog' means a hog that is 'wild or semi-wild' and has that clear ridge, often found in the rural southern United States.