pork

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   Meat from a pig.

   The cafeteria serves pork on Tuesdays.

2. 2
   noun

   Government spending arranged to please a politician's local voters.

   Critics said the new bridge was just pork for the senator's hometown.

From Middle English pork, porc, via Anglo-Norman, from Old French porc (“swine, hog, pig; pork”), from Latin porcus (“domestic hog, pig”). Cognate with Old English fearh (“piglet”). Doublet of farrow. Compare also other West Germanic words for pigs: Ferkel, Ferke, and varken. Used in English since the 14th century, and as a term of abuse since the 17th century. US politics sense is related to pork barrel.

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