guinea Hear it!

guinea definition

guinea (gin′ē)

noun

  1. a former English gold coin, last minted in 1813, equal to 21 shillings: the word is still used in England in giving prices of luxury items
  2. guinea fowl
  3. Slang an Italian or a person of Italian descent: an offensive term of hostility and contempt

Etymology: the gold of which it was first made came from Guinea

Guinea definition

Guinea (gin′ē)

  1. coastal region of W Africa, between Senegal & Nigeria
  2. country in this region: formerly a French colony, it became independent in 1958: 94,926 sq mi (245,857 sq km); pop. 7,300,000; cap. Conakry
  3. part of the Atlantic, off the W coast of Africa

Related Forms:

  • Guinean Guin′·e·an adjective, noun

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2009 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

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