guinea pig
Definition from Wiktionary, a free dictionary
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[edit] English
[edit] Pronunciation
[edit] Etymology
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.[1] "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.[2] 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.[1]
[edit] Noun
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Singular |
Plural |
guinea pig (plural guinea pigs)
- A tailless rodent of the Cavia genus, with short ears and larger than a hamster; the species Cavia porcellus is often kept as a pet.
- (idiomatic) A person who volunteers for an experiment or to try anything new; an experimental subject (from the use of the rodent in laboratory experiments).
- Would you like to be the guinea pig for our new product concept?
[edit] Synonyms
- (rodent) cavy
[edit] Translations
rodent
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volunteer for an experiment
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Translations to be checked
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[edit] References
- Notes:
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Wagner, Joseph E. (1976). The Biology of the Guinea Pig. Academic Press.
- ^ "Results for "Guinea pig"." Dictionary.com. URL accessed on 2006-08-29.
