cavy

[ key-vee ]
/ ˈkeɪ vi /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR cavy ON THESAURUS.COM

noun, plural ca·vies.

any of several short-tailed or tailless South American rodents of the family Caviidae, as the guinea pig, capybara, or agouti.

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Origin of cavy

1790–1800; < New Latin Cavia name of the genus < Carib (Galibi) cabiai

Words nearby cavy

cavort, cavosurface, cavosurface angle, cavour, cavum, cavy, caw, cawdrey, cawley, cawnpore, caxias
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Words related to cavy

rodent, subject, victim, examinee, testee

Example sentences from the Web for cavy

British Dictionary definitions for cavy

cavy
/ (ˈkeɪvɪ) /

noun plural -vies

any small South American hystricomorph rodent of the family Caviidae, esp any of the genus Cavia, having a thickset body and very small tailSee also guinea pig

Word Origin for cavy

C18: from New Latin Cavia, from Galibi cabiai
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012