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• guinea
  guinea

  noun

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

  noun

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

guinea

¹ American  

[gin-ee] / ˈgɪn i /

noun

• guineas
  plural

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

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

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

4. Horse Racing. a person who does miscellaneous work in or around a horse stable.

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Guinea ² American  

[gin-ee] / ˈgɪn i /

noun

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

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

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

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Guinea ¹ British  

/ ˈɡɪnɪ /

noun

1. 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)

2. (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)

3. 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

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guinea ² British  

/ ˈɡɪnɪ /

noun

1. 1. a British gold coin taken out of circulation in 1813, worth 21 shillings

   2. the sum of 21 shillings (£1.05), still used in some contexts, as in quoting professional fees

2. See guinea fowl

3. slang an Italian or a person of Italian descent

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Guinea Cultural  

1. 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.

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Discover More

Guinea was once part of the Mali empire.

It became independent of France in 1958.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• Guinean
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• guineas
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of guinea

C16: the coin was originally made of gold from Guinea

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

guinea Guinea guineas

"I think if it wasn't for our guinea pig cast, it wouldn't be as big as it is."

From BBC ● Oct. 30, 2026

To investigate, the researchers attached small weights to one leg of young guinea fowl, birds closely related to chickens that walk on two legs like humans.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 14, 2026

In unpacking the new single title, Harper’s Bazaar suggested that maybe modern-day fame is the disease, and Swift the “early guinea pig” who has fought against sexism and re-created her own masters.

From Slate ● Sep. 23, 2026

At times, this makes the humble viewer feel a bit like a guinea pig in a focus group; the audience’s reactions are integral to measuring the film’s success.

From Salon ● Sep. 19, 2026

“That’s what guinea pigs are. They’re rodents. Just like rats or squirrels or mice.”

From "Hello, Universe" by Erin Entrada Kelly

Dozens more species that have rarely been studied outside Papua New Guinea were also feared to be in harm's way.

From Barron's ● Nov. 2, 2026

To qualify, England must beat Papua New Guinea on Friday, hope Tonga defeat Samoa on Sunday, and make up a 68-point deficit on the Samoans.

From BBC ● Oct. 28, 2026

Jez Litten and Morgan Knowles have been brought into the starting line-up for England's must-win Men's Rugby League World Cup match against Papua New Guinea - with Brad O'Neill dropping out of the squad.

From BBC ● Oct. 27, 2026

During the 1950s and 1960s, anthropologists and mushroom specialists traveled to Papua New Guinea to investigate.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 25, 2026

Mrs. Guinea had telegrammed, "Is there a boy in the case?"

From "The Bell Jar" by Sylvia Plath

"You had to pay two guineas for your gold staff," he says.

From BBC ● May 4, 2023

The guineas died pretty quickly, and I would discover their bodies and the smell, and move them with a shovel so we could continue working and cleaning.

From Salon ● May 2, 2020

She won a silver flower basket worth 20 guineas; her runner-up took home a silver mirror and brush set.

From Washington Post ● Sep. 9, 2018

The siblings raise guineas, ducks, chickens and geese for eggs and goats and rabbits for meat.

From Washington Times ● Jul. 28, 2018

“Every man willing to switch sides is to be paid five guineas and two hundred acres of land. If he have a wife, an additional hundred acres. Each child of his blood garners another fifty.”

From "Chains" by Laurie Halse Anderson

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