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Definitions for: Guinea
[n] W African bird having dark plumage mottled with white; native to Africa but raised for food in many parts of the world
[n] ethnic slur; offensive terms for a person of Italian descent
[n] a republic in eastern Africa on the Atlantic; formerly a French colony; achieved independence from France in 1958
[n] a former British gold coin worth 21 shillings
Webster (1913) Definition: Guin"ea (g[i^]n"[-e]), n.
1. A district on the west coast of Africa (formerly noted for
its export of gold and slaves) after which the Guinea
fowl, Guinea grass, Guinea peach, etc., are named.
2. A gold coin of England current for twenty-one shillings
sterling, or about five dollars, but not coined since the
issue of sovereigns in 1817.
The guinea, so called from the Guinea gold out of
which it was first struck, was proclaimed in 1663,
and to go for twenty shillings; but it never went
for less than twenty-one shillings. --Pinkerton.
Guinea corn. (Bot.) See Durra.
Guinea Current (Geog.), a current in the Atlantic Ocean
setting southwardly into the Bay of Benin on the coast of
Guinea.
Guinea dropper one who cheats by dropping counterfeit
guineas. [Obs.] --Gay.
Guinea fowl, Guinea hen (Zo["o]l.), an African
gallinaceous bird, of the genus Numida, allied to the
pheasants. The common domesticated species ({N.
meleagris}), has a colored fleshy horn on each aide of the
head, and is of a dark gray color, variegated with small
white spots. The crested Guinea fowl (N. cristata) is a
finer species.
Guinea grains (Bot.), grains of Paradise, or amomum. See
Amomum.
Guinea grass (Bot.), a tall strong forage grass ({Panicum
jumentorum}) introduced. from Africa into the West Indies
and Southern United States.
Guinea-hen flower (Bot.), a liliaceous flower ({Fritillaria
Meleagris}) with petals spotted like the feathers of the
Guinea hen.
Guinea peach. See under Peach.
Guinea pepper (Bot.), the pods of the Xylopia aromatica,
a tree of the order Anonace[ae], found in tropical West
Africa. They are also sold under the name of {Piper
[AE]thiopicum}.
Guinea pig. [Prob. a mistake for Guiana pig.]
(a) (Zo["o]l.) A small Brazilian rodent (Cavia cobaya),
about seven inches in length and usually of a white
color, with spots of orange and black.
(b) A contemptuous sobriquet. --Smollett
Guinea plum (Bot.), the fruit of Parinarium excelsum, a
large West African tree of the order Chrysobalane[ae],
having a scarcely edible fruit somewhat resembling a plum,
which is also called gray plum and rough-skin plum.
Guinea worm (Zo["o]l.), a long and slender African nematoid
worm (Filaria Medinensis) of a white color. It lives in
the cellular tissue of man, beneath the skin, and produces
painful sores.
Synonyms: dago, French Guinea, greaseball, guinea fowl, Numida meleagris, Republic of Guinea, wop
See Also: Africa, African country, African nation, capital of Guinea, coin, Conakry, domestic fowl, fowl, genus Numida, guinea hen, Guinean, Italian, Konakri, Niger, Niger River, Numida, poultry
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