guinea pig
Americannoun
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a short-eared, tailless rodent of the genus Cavia, usually white, black, and tawny, commonly regarded as the domesticated form of one of the South American wild species of cavy: often used in scientific experiments or kept as a pet.
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Informal. the subject of any sort of experiment.
I've volunteered as a guinea pig in several clinical trials.
noun
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a domesticated cavy, probably descended from Cavia porcellus, commonly kept as a pet and used in scientific experiments
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a person or thing used for experimentation
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of guinea pig
First recorded in 1655–65
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
He said his shelter was currently housing four dogs, two cats and a Guinea pig.
From Seattle Times • May 1, 2022
Guinea pig meat, known as “cuy” in Ecuador, is typically eaten as a savory dish there and in other South American countries, like Peru and Colombia, where it's often grilled and served whole, per NPR.
From Fox News • Oct. 6, 2019
Amy Sherwood, 33, an echocardiographer at Wrexham Maelor Hospital, was acting as a Guinea pig with a colleague when she spotted the growth.
From BBC • Aug. 14, 2013
The Guinea pig, like the rabbit, suffers from scabies and coccidiosis.
From The Elements of Bacteriological Technique A Laboratory Guide for Medical, Dental, and Technical Students. Second Edition Rewritten and Enlarged. by Eyre, J. W. H. (John William Henry)
Nobody knows who is to blame for bringing the first Guinea pig to this country, but certainly he didn't do anything very creditable.
From Peck's Sunshine Being a Collection of Articles Written for Peck's Sun, Milwaukee, Wis. - 1882 by Peck, George W. (George Wilbur)
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
