guinea pig

noun

1. a short-eared, tailless rodent of the genus Cavia, usually white, black, and tawny, commonly regarded as the domesticated form of one of the South American wild species of cavy: often used in scientific experiments or kept as a pet.
2. Informal. the subject of any sort of experiment:

   I've volunteered as a guinea pig in several clinical trials.

guinea pig

noun

1. a domesticated cavy, probably descended from Cavia porcellus, commonly kept as a pet and used in scientific experiments
2. a person or thing used for experimentation

Word History and Origins

Origin of guinea pig¹

First recorded in 1655–65

Word History and Origins

Origin of guinea pig¹

C17: origin uncertain: perhaps from old use of the name Guinea to mean any remote unknown land

Related Words

• experimental subject
• subject
• test subject