guinea pig

American  

noun

1. 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.

2. Informal. the subject of any sort of experiment.

   I've volunteered as a guinea pig in several clinical trials.

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guinea pig British  

noun

1. a domesticated cavy, probably descended from Cavia porcellus, commonly kept as a pet and used in scientific experiments

2. a person or thing used for experimentation

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Etymology

Origin of guinea pig

First recorded in 1655–65

Example Sentences

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

Whether the Guinea pig mistook the girl for its owner or not is not positively known, but the animal was seen to go under the seat occupied by the young woman.

From Peck's Sunshine Being a Collection of Articles Written for Peck's Sun, Milwaukee, Wis. - 1882 by Peck, George W. (George Wilbur)

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)

Related Words

• experimental subject
• subject
• test subject