/ swaɪn; NAmE / noun ( pl. swines or swine )
1.
[ C ] ( informal ) an unpleasant person :
He's an arrogant little swine!
2.
[ C ] ( BrE , informal ) a difficult or unpleasant thing or task :
The car can be a swine to start.
3.
swine [ pl. ] ( old use or technical ) pigs :
a herd of swine
swine fever (= a disease of pigs)
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IDIOMS
see pearl
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WORD ORIGIN
Old English swīn , of Germanic origin; related to Dutch zwijn and German Schwein , also to sow (II).