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cavy

[ key-vee ]
/ ˈkeɪ vi /
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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

cavity wall, cavolo nero, cavo-relievo, cavort, Cavour, cavy, caw, Cawdrey, Cawley, Cawnpore, Caxias
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Words related to cavy

rodent, examinee, lab rat, subject, testee, victim

How to use cavy in a sentence

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
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