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
The bill applies to dogs, cats, rabbits and guinea pigs.
—
Kaitlin McCallum, Hartford Courant, 1 Apr. 2025
After all, the 2024-25 season is the guinea pig year.
—Charles Baggarly, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 3 Mar. 2025
Like with pet hamsters and guinea pigs, rabbit owners could think their animal appears fine one evening, only to find the creature dead in its enclosure the next morning from a stomach rupture or gastrointestinal stasis, Valand said.
—Claire Thornton, USA TODAY, 11 Jan. 2025
Pueblo resident Jamie Valdez, a member of Nuclear-Free Colorado, said his community could wind up as a guinea pig for an unproven technology while Xcel customers in the Denver area could wind up bearing the costs of a still-developing generation source.
—Judith Kohler, The Denver Post, 25 Nov. 2024
See All Example Sentences for guinea pig
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Kaitlin McCallum, Hartford Courant, 1 Apr. 2025
After all, the 2024-25 season is the guinea pig year.
—Charles Baggarly, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 3 Mar. 2025
Like with pet hamsters and guinea pigs, rabbit owners could think their animal appears fine one evening, only to find the creature dead in its enclosure the next morning from a stomach rupture or gastrointestinal stasis, Valand said.
—Claire Thornton, USA TODAY, 11 Jan. 2025
Pueblo resident Jamie Valdez, a member of Nuclear-Free Colorado, said his community could wind up as a guinea pig for an unproven technology while Xcel customers in the Denver area could wind up bearing the costs of a still-developing generation source.
—Judith Kohler, The Denver Post, 25 Nov. 2024
See All Example Sentences for guinea pig
Cite this Entry
“Guinea pig.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/guinea%20pig. Accessed 16 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
guinea pig
noun
guin·ea pig
ˈgin-ē-ˌ 
: 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
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