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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Well, Florence, despite having a new guinea pig, Yelena is lonely. Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 28 Apr. 2025 Reese does enjoy socializing with other female guinea pigs during her free roam time Subscribe to continue reading this article. Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 12 Apr. 2025 Videos of his before-and-after photos and shoots with shelter pets — including dogs, cats, guinea pigs, rabbits and occasionally reptiles — inspired shelters from around the world to ask him for help and advice. Jen Reeder, Forbes, 20 Mar. 2025 Mickey's one solace throughout the four-and-a-third-year journey to Niflheim is his romance with security agent Nasha (Naomi Ackie), the only crew member who thinks of every version of him as a person rather than a human guinea pig. Megan McCluskey, TIME, 7 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for guinea pig

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

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Guinea pig.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/guinea%20pig. Accessed 9 May. 2025.

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!