Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- noun Any of various small, stocky, short-eared rodents of the genus Cavia of South America, having no visible tail. The domesticated species C. porcellus is widely kept as a pet and is used in biomedical research.
- noun Informal A person who is used as a subject for experimentation or research.
from The Century Dictionary.
- noun A junior midshipman in the East India service.
- noun The domestic form, in several varieties, of the restless cavy, Cavia aperea, a Brazilian rodent of the family Caviidæ.
- noun The boschvark, Potamochærus africanus.
- noun One whose fee is a guinea: a punning name, applied in the quotation to a veterinary surgeon.
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
- (Zoöl.) A small Brazilian rodent (
Cavia porcellus orCavia cobaya ), about seven inches in length and usually of a white color, with spots of orange and black. Called alsocavy . It is the domesticated form of the wild cavy, often kept as a pet and used commonly as an experimental animal in laboratory research. - Any animal or person used in an experiment; -- also applied to people who are unwillingly or unknowingly subjected by authorities to policies or procedures which might cause bodily or mental harm.
- obsolete A contemptuous sobriquet.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- noun A tailless
rodent of the thefamily Caviidae and thegenus Cavia genus, with shortears and larger than ahamster ; thespecies Cavia porcellus is often kept as apet . - noun A rodent of any of several species within the family Caviidae.
- noun figuratively A living experimental subject.
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- noun a person who is subjected to experimental or other observational procedures; someone who is an object of investigation
- noun stout-bodied nearly tailless domesticated cavy; often kept as a pet and widely used in research
Etymologies
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition
[Perhaps alteration (influenced by Guinea, used as a name for any faraway unknown country) of Guiana.]
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
The origin of "guinea" in "guinea pig" is hard to explain. One theory is that the animals were brought to Europe by way of Guinea, leading people to think they had originated there. "Guinea" was also frequently used in English to refer generally to any far-off, unknown country, and so the name may simply be a colorful reference to the animal's foreignness. Others believe "guinea" may be an alteration of the word coney ("rabbit"); guinea pigs were referred to as "pig coneys" in Edward Topsell's 1607 treatise on quadrupeds.
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Examples
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john commented on the word guinea pig
Wordie is mine :-)
July 27, 2007
cosmican commented on the word guinea pig
one who is used as a subject in an experiment
November 17, 2007
treeseed commented on the word guinea pig
See cavy
In Western societies, the guinea pig has enjoyed widespread popularity as a household pet since its introduction by European traders in the 16th century. Their docile nature, their responsiveness to handling and feeding, and the relative ease of caring for them, continue to make the guinea pig a popular pet. Organizations devoted to competitive breeding of guinea pigs have been formed worldwide, and many specialized breeds of guinea pig, with varying coat colors and compositions, are cultivated by breeders.
"Guinea pig" is also used as a metaphor in English for a subject of experimentation; this usage became common in the first half of the 20th century. Biological experimentation on guinea pigs has been carried out since the 17th century.
_Wikipedia
February 15, 2008
gangerh commented on the word guinea pig
'morske prasa' is the Slovak word for guinea pig.
February 15, 2008
chained_bear commented on the word guinea pig
Cuteness.
August 8, 2008
sionnach commented on the word guinea pig
THE GUINEA PIG
There was a little Guinea-pig,
Who, being little, was not big;
He always walked upon his feet,
And never fasted when he eat.
When from a place he ran away,
He never at that place did stay;
And while he ran, as I am told,
He ne'er stood still for young or old.
He often squeaked, and sometimes vi'lent,
And when he squeaked he ne'er was silent:
Though ne'er instructed by a cat,
He knew a mouse was not a rat.
One day, as I am certified,
He took a whim, and fairly died;
And as I'm told by men of sense,
He never has been living since!
Anon.
February 9, 2009