| Guinea | n. 1. A district on the west coast of Africa (formerly noted for its export of gold and slaves) after which the Guinea fowl, Guinea grass, Guinea peach, etc., are named. [ 1913 Webster ] 2. A gold coin of England current for twenty-one shillings sterling, or about five dollars, but not coined since the issue of sovereigns in 1817. [ 1913 Webster ] The guinea, so called from the Guinea gold out of which it
was first struck, was proclaimed in 1663, and to go for twenty shillings; but it never went for less than twenty-one shillings. Pinkerton. [ 1913 Webster ]
Guinea corn. (Bot.) See Durra. --
Guinea Current (Geog.), a current in the Atlantic Ocean setting southwardly into the Bay of Benin on the coast of Guinea. --
Guinea dropper one who cheats by dropping counterfeit guineas. [ Obs. ] Gay. --
Guinea fowl,
Guinea hen (Zool.), an African gallinaceous bird, of the genus Numida, allied to the pheasants. The common domesticated species (Numida meleagris), has a colored fleshy horn on each aide of the head, and is of a dark gray color, variegated with small white spots. The crested Guinea fowl (Numida cristata) is a finer species. --
Guinea grains (Bot.), grains of Paradise, or amomum. See Amomum. --
Guinea grass (Bot.), a tall strong forage grass (Panicum jumentorum) introduced. from Africa into the West Indies and Southern United States. --
Guinea-hen flower (Bot.), a liliaceous flower (Fritillaria Meleagris) with petals spotted like the feathers of the Guinea hen. --
Guinea peach. See under Peach. --
Guinea pepper (Bot.), the pods of the Xylopia aromatica, a tree of the order Anonaceæ, found in tropical West Africa. They are also sold under the name of Piper aethiopicum. --
Guinea plum (Bot.), the fruit of Parinarium excelsum, a large West African tree of the order Chrysobalaneæ, having a scarcely edible fruit somewhat resembling a plum, which is also called gray plum and rough-skin plum. --
Guinea worm (Zool.), a long and slender African nematoid worm (Filaria Medinensis) of a white color. It lives in the cellular tissue of man, beneath the skin, and produces painful sores. [ 1913 Webster ]
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| Guinea pig | [ Prob. a mistake for Guiana pig. ] 1. (Zool.) A small Brazilian rodent (Cavia porcellus or Cavia cobaya), about seven inches in length and usually of a white color, with spots of orange and black. Called also cavy. It is the domesticated form of the wild cavy, often kept as a pet and used commonly as an experimental animal in laboratory research. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. +PJC ] 2. Hence, [ figuratively ]: Any animal or person used in an experiment; -- also applied to people who are unwillingly or unknowingly subjected by authorities to policies or procedures which might cause bodily or mental harm. [ PJC ] 3. A contemptuous sobriquet. [ Obs. ] Smollett [ Webster 1913 Suppl. +PJC ] |
