pork

[pawrk, pohrk] /pɔrk, poʊrk/
noun
1.
the flesh of hogs used as food.
2.
Informal. appropriations, appointments, etc., made by the government for political reasons rather than for public benefit, as for public buildings or river improvements.
Origin
1250-1300; Middle English porc < Old French < Latin porcus hog, pig; cognate with farrow1
Related forms
porkish, porklike, adjective
porkless, adjective
Examples from the web for pork
  • They have forgotten more about pork-belly futures than you will ever know.
  • They will often think that you're an unclean piece of pork.
  • Usually filled with minced pork or a mixture of pork, beef and/or veal, it can also be made with other kinds of meat.
  • Still, there was more to the golden eagles' arrival than an abundance of pork.
  • Some meats are indeed cooked medium-rare, including pork and duck.
  • Well, the flavor is worlds better than molded pork product swimming in barbecue sauce, but you get the idea.
  • Try out one pound fat salt pork cut in pieces, and cook chicken slowly in fat until tender and well browned.
  • Season with salt and pepper, dredge with flour, and brown the entire surface in pork fat.
  • The common diet of the people was fat pork and corn bread.
  • Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat for a minute, then add pork.
British Dictionary definitions for pork

pork

/pɔːk/
noun
1.
the flesh of pigs used as food
Word Origin
C13: from Old French porc, from Latin porcus pig
Word Origin and History for pork
n.

c.1300 (early 13c. in surname Porkuiller), "flesh of a pig as food," from Old French porc "pig, swine, boar," and directly from Latin porcus "pig, tame swine," from PIE *porko- "young swine" (cf. Umbrian purka; Old Church Slavonic prase "young pig;" Lithuanian parsas "pig;" and Old English fearh, Middle Dutch varken, both from Proto-Germanic *farhaz).

Pork barrel in the literal sense is from 1801, American English; meaning "state's financial resources (available for distribution)" is attested from 1907 (in full, national pork barrel); it was noted as an expression of U.S. President President William Howard Taft:

"Now there is a proposition that we issue $500,000,000 or $1,000,000,000 of bonds for a waterway, and then that we just apportion part to the Mississippi and part to the Atlantic, a part to the Missouri and a part to the Ohio. I am opposed to it. I am opposed to it because it not only smells of the pork barrel, but it will be the pork barrel itself. Let every project stand on its bottom." ["The Outlook," Nov. 6, 1909, quoting Taft]
The magazine article that includes the quote opens with:
We doubt whether any one knows how or when, or from what application of what story, the phrase "the National pork barrel" has come into use. If not a very elegant simile, it is at least an expressive one, and suggests a graphic picture of Congressmen eager for local advantage going, one after another, to the National pork barrel to take away their slices for home consumption.
Pork in this sense is attested from 1862 (cf. figurative use of bacon). Pork chop is attested from 1858. Pork pie is from 1732; pork-pie hat (1855) originally described a woman's style popular c.1855-65, so called for its shape.

Slang definitions & phrases for pork

pork

noun
  1. Federal appropriations obtained for particular localities or interests (1862+)
  2. The police; pig
verb

To do the sex act; copulate; screw: I decided to lay some groundwork for porking her brains out (1980s+)

[origin uncertain; perhaps fr poke]