What is a female pig called?

A female pig is called a sow.

The word sow usually refers to an adult female pig, especially one that has reached breeding age. In farming, a sow may be discussed in relation to her litter, pregnancy, or reproductive history. The adult male counterpart is a boar, while a young pig is generally called a piglet.

A common mix-up is the word gilt. In agricultural terminology, a gilt is a young female pig that has not yet produced a litter. Once she has farrowed, she is generally described as a sow. In everyday English, however, “sow” is the standard answer to a general question about a female pig.

Sow is pronounced like “cow,” not like the verb “sow,” meaning to scatter seeds. The animal term comes from an old Germanic word related to Latin sus, the root behind scientific names for pigs and other members of the pig family.