greedy and cruel person; rapacious brute
A classical Chinese-derived yojijukugo used to describe someone who is both greedy and cruel, like a wild boar or a long snake. Extremely rare in modern Japanese; mostly encountered in literary or historical contexts.
"Hōshi chōda" is a classical idiom that likens a greedy and cruel person to a large wild boar and a long snake.
From Classical Chinese 封豕長蛇, “a great boar and a long serpent,” an image for rapacious and cruel people found in the 『春秋左氏伝』.