- Guinea Current
- Guinea Guin"ea (g[i^]n"[-e]), 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} (Zo["o]l.), 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 {Anonace[ae]}, found in tropical West Africa. They are also sold under the name of {Piper [AE]thiopicum}.
{Guinea plum} (Bot.), the fruit of {Parinarium excelsum}, a large West African tree of the order {Chrysobalane[ae]}, having a scarcely edible fruit somewhat resembling a plum, which is also called {gray plum} and {rough-skin plum}.
{Guinea worm} (Zo["o]l.), 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]
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English. 2000.
