Guinea pig

Guinea pig
Guinea pig Guin"ea pig` [Prob. a mistake for Guiana pig.] 1. (Zo["o]l.) 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]


The Collaborative International Dictionary of English. 2000.

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  • Guinea Pig — (jap. ギニーピッグ, Ginī piggu) ist eine Reihe von sieben japanischen Splatterfilmen mit teilweise drastischen Gewaltdarstellungen. Während die ersten Filme der Reihe nach Aussagen des US Vertriebs Unearthed Films in Japan jeweils in die Top Ten der… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • guinea pig — guinea pigs also guinea pig 1) N COUNT If someone is used as a guinea pig in an experiment, something is tested on them that has not been tested on people before. Dr Roger Altounyan used himself as a human guinea pig to perfect a treatment which… …   English dictionary

  • Guinea pig — Guinea Cette page d’homonymie répertorie les différents sujets et articles partageant un même nom. Guinea peut faire référence à : Guinea, une commune du Pays Basque espagnol, Guinea, un village de la municipalité de Frontera sur l île de El …   Wikipédia en Français

  • guinea pig — 1660s, native to South America and perhaps so called either because it was first brought back to Britain aboard Guinea men, ships that plied the triangle trade between England, Guinea, and South America [Barnhart, Klein]; or from confusion of… …   Etymology dictionary

  • guinea-pig — If you are a guinea pig, you take part in an experiment of some sort and are used in the testing …   The small dictionary of idiomes

  • guinea pig — n [Date: 1600 1700; Origin: Guinea, probably by mistake for Guiana, earlier name of Guyana] 1.) a small furry animal with short ears and no tail, which is often kept as a pet 2.) someone who is used in a scientific test to see how successful or… …   Dictionary of contemporary English

  • guinea pig — guinea ,pig noun count 1. ) someone who is used in an experiment: The prisoners were used as guinea pigs by their government. 2. ) a small animal with fur, short ears, and no tail. It is often kept as a pet …   Usage of the words and phrases in modern English

  • guinea pig — n. [prob. orig. brought to England by ships plying between England, Guinea, and South America] 1. any of various small, plump rodents (genus Cavia) with short ears and no external tail: often domesticated and used in biological experiments ☆ 2.… …   English World dictionary

  • Guinea pig — см. Приложение 1 (Cavia porcellus). (Источник: «Англо русский толковый словарь генетических терминов». Арефьев В.А., Лисовенко Л.А., Москва: Изд во ВНИРО, 1995 г.) …   Молекулярная биология и генетика. Толковый словарь.

  • Guinea pig — Guinea pig. См. морская свинка. (Источник: «Англо русский толковый словарь генетических терминов». Арефьев В.А., Лисовенко Л.А., Москва: Изд во ВНИРО, 1995 г.) …   Молекулярная биология и генетика. Толковый словарь.

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