guinea pig

noun

1
: a small stout-bodied short-eared tailless domesticated rodent (Cavia porcellus) of South American origin often kept as a pet and widely used in biological research

called also cavy

2
: a subject of research, experimentation, or testing

Examples of guinea pig in a Sentence

He volunteered to act as a guinea pig in the experiment.
Recent Examples on the Web Resident Emily Lemp was out working when the fire broke out and was worried about her guinea pig left home alone. Thomas Tracy, New York Daily News, 13 Mar. 2024 Rabbits, guinea pigs, hamsters, and household birds can also accompany passengers in the cabin, but only on flights within the U.S. Passengers traveling with a pet cannot sit in the emergency exit rows or the first row of the plane. Sarah Kuta, Condé Nast Traveler, 3 Jan. 2023 Besides dogs and cats, animals allowed inside are birds, ferrets, gerbils, guinea pigs, hamsters, mice, rats and rabbits under 10 pounds. Devoun Cetoute, Miami Herald, 31 May 2024 Man with Terminal Illness Wants to Find His Dog Best Friend a New Home Before His Death Guinea pigs Drew and Luke, both 9-month-old males, are also up for adoption and are both looking for homes with another guinea pig companion. Charlotte Phillipp, Peoplemag, 20 May 2024 See all Example Sentences for guinea pig 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'guinea pig.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1664, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of guinea pig was in 1664

Dictionary Entries Near guinea pig

Cite this Entry

“Guinea pig.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/guinea%20pig. Accessed 1 Jul. 2024.

Kids Definition

guinea pig

noun
1
: a small stocky rodent with short ears and a very short tail that is often kept as a pet and is used in biological research
2
: a person or thing experimented on

Medical Definition

guinea pig

noun
guin·​ea pig ˈgin-ē-ˌ How to pronounce guinea pig (audio)
: a small stout-bodied short-eared nearly tailless domesticated rodent of the genus Cavia (C. cobaya) often kept as a pet and widely used in biological research

called also cavy

More from Merriam-Webster on guinea pig

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!