A hog is a pig, especially a large one raised for meat. Farmers raise hogs on farms, feeding them until they're ready for market. The word usually refers to bigger pigs: a small piglet might become a hog once it's fully grown.

The word also appears in several common expressions. Someone who hogs something takes more than their fair share and won't let others have any. If your brother hogs the remote control, he won't let anyone else choose what to watch. A person might hog the bathroom, the conversation, or the best spot on the couch.

You might hear someone called a road hog, meaning a driver who takes up too much space on the road and won't let other cars pass. When you go whole hog, you commit completely to something instead of holding back. If you're planning a surprise party, going whole hog means decorating elaborately, inviting everyone, and making it spectacular rather than keeping it simple.

The connection between these meanings comes from the idea that pigs eat eagerly and enthusiastically. When someone hogs something, they're being selfish and greedy, like a hungry pig at feeding time.