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guinea pig
- any of various small, plump rodents (genus Cavia) with short ears and no external tail: often domesticated and used in biological experiments
- ☆ any person or thing used in an experiment or test
Origin: prob. orig. brought to England by ships plying between England, Guinea, and South America
See guinea pig in American Heritage Dictionary 4
noun
- Any of various small, short-eared domesticated rodents of the genus Cavia, having variously colored hair and no visible tail. They are widely kept as pets and often used as experimental animals.
- Informal A person who is used as a subject for experimentation or research.
Origin:
Origin: Perhaps alteration (influenced by Guinea, used as a name for any faraway unknown country)
Origin: of Guiana
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