in zoology, a genus of quadrupeds belonging to the order of belluae. They have four converging fore-teeth in the upper jaw, and six prominent ones in the under jaw; there are two short dog-teeth in the upper jaw, and one longer and jutting out in the under jaw; the snout is truncated, prominent, and moveable. There are five species. The sus scrofa, or common sow, is a native of the southern parts of Europe. It feeds coarsely, digs up roots, &c. from the ground with its snout. It is a fat, sleepy, stupid, dirty animal, wallowing constantly in the mire. The sow brings forth a great number of young at a litter, and is therefore considered as a profitable animal. The flesh, however, is not reckoned to be of the most wholesome kind.