Guinea

[ gin-ee ]

/ ˈgɪn i /

noun

a coastal region in W Africa, extending from the Gambia River to the Gabon estuary.

Formerly French Guinea. an independent republic in W Africa, on the Atlantic coast. About 96,900 sq. mi. (251,000 sq. km). Capital: Conakry.

Gulf of, a part of the Atlantic Ocean that projects into the W coast of Africa and extends from the Ivory Coast to Gabon.

(lowercase) a former money of account of the United Kingdom, equal to 21 shillings: still often used in quoting fees or prices.

(lowercase) a gold coin of Great Britain issued from 1663 to 1813, with a nominal value of 20 shillings.

(lowercase) Slang: Extremely Disparaging and Offensive. a contemptuous term used to refer to a person of Italian birth or descent.

(lowercase) Horse Racing. a person who does miscellaneous work in or around a horse stable.

Related forms

Guin·e·an, adjective, noun

Can be confused

Guiana Guinea Guyana

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

British Dictionary definitions for guinea (1 of 2)

guinea

/ (ˈɡɪnɪ) /

noun

a British gold coin taken out of circulation in 1813, worth 21 shillings
the sum of 21 shillings (£1.05), still used in some contexts, as in quoting professional fees

See guinea fowl

US slang, derogatory an Italian or a person of Italian descent

Word Origin for guinea

C16: the coin was originally made of gold from Guinea

British Dictionary definitions for guinea (2 of 2)

Guinea

/ (ˈɡɪnɪ) /

noun

a republic in West Africa, on the Atlantic: established as the colony of French Guinea in 1890 and became an independent republic in 1958. Official language: French. Religion: Muslim majority and animist. Currency: franc. Capital: Conakry. Pop: 11 176 026 (2013 est). Area: 245 855 sq km (94 925 sq miles)

(formerly) the coastal region of West Africa, between Cape Verde and Namibe (formerly Moçâmedes; Angola): divided by a line of volcanic peaks into Upper Guinea (between The Gambia and Cameroon) and Lower Guinea (between Cameroon and S Angola)

Gulf of Guinea a large inlet of the S Atlantic on the W coast of Africa, extending from Cape Palmas, Liberia, to Cape Lopez, Gabon: contains two large bays, the Bight of Bonny and the Bight of Benin, separated by the Niger delta

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

Culture definitions for guinea

Guinea

[ (gin-ee) ]

Republic in west Africa, bordered by Guinea-Bissau, Senegal, and Mali to the north; Ivory Coast to the east; Liberia to the south; and the Atlantic Ocean to the west. Its capital and largest city is Conarky.

Note

Guinea was once part of the Mali empire.

Note

It became independent of France in 1958.