9 results for: Guinea

Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1) - Cite This Source - Share This

Guin·ea

Audio Help [gin-ee] Pronunciation Key

–noun

1.	a coastal region in W Africa, extending from the Gambia River to the Gabon estuary.

2.	Formerly, French Guinea. an independent republic in W Africa, on the Atlantic coast. 7,405,375; ab. 96,900 sq. mi. (251,000 sq. km). Capital: Conakry.

3.	Gulf of, a part of the Atlantic Ocean that projects into the W coast of Africa and extends from the Ivory Coast to Gabon.

4.	(lowercase) a former money of account of the United Kingdom, equal to 21 shillings: still often used in quoting fees or prices.

5.	(lowercase) a gold coin of Great Britain issued from 1663 to 1813, with a nominal value of 20 shillings.

6.	Slang: Disparaging and Offensive. a person of Italian birth or descent.

7.	(lowercase) Horse Racing. a person who does miscellaneous work in or around a horse stable.

—Related forms

Guin·e·an, adjective, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1)
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006.

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.
Guinea

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American Heritage Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

guin·ea Audio Help (gĭn'ē) Pronunciation Key
n.

Abbr. g.
1. A gold coin issued in England from 1663 to 1813 and worth one pound and one shilling.
2. The sum of one pound and one shilling.
Offensive Slang Used as a disparaging term for a person of Italian birth or descent.

[After the Guinea coast of Africa, the source of the gold from which it was first made.]

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The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2006 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

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Guin·ea Audio Help (gĭn'ē) Pronunciation Key

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A historical region of western and equatorial Africa extending along the coast from Gambia to Angola. Sections of the area from the Bight of Benin westward were known to early traders as the Slave, Gold, Ivory, and Grain Coasts.
A country of western Africa on the Atlantic Ocean. Inhabited by Fulani, Malinke, and Susu peoples, parts of present-day Guinea belonged to the medieval kingdom of Ghana and later to the Mali Empire. Explored by the Portuguese in the 15th century, it came under French control in the 19th century, becoming a French colony in 1893 and a part of French West Africa in 1895. Guinea gained its independence in 1958. Conakry is the capital and the largest city. Population: 9,690,000.

Guin'e·an adj. & n.

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The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2006 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

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Guinea, Gulf of
A broad inlet of the Atlantic Ocean formed by the great bend in the west-central coast of Africa. It includes the Bights of Benin and Biafra.

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The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2006 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

Online Etymology Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This
guinea

former British coin, 1664, from Guinea, region along the west coast of Africa, presumably from an African word; the 20-shilling coins so called because they were first minted for British trade with Guinea (but soon in domestic use) and with gold from Africa. The original guinea (in use from 1663 to 1813) was based on the value of gold and by 1695 it was worth 30 shillings. William III then fixed its value at 21 shillings, 6 pence in 1698. The extra 6 pence were lopped off in December 1717. The Guinea hen (1578) is a domestic fowl imported from there. Guinea "derogatory term for Italian" (1896) was originally Guinea Negro (1740s) and meant "black person, person of mixed ancestry." It was applied to Italians c.1890 probably because of their dark complexions relative to northern Europeans, and after 1911 was occasionally applied to Hispanics and Pacific Islanders as well.

WordNet - Cite This Source - Share This

guinea
noun
1.	a former British gold coin worth 21 shillings
2.	(ethnic slur) offensive term for a person of Italian descent [syn: wop]
3.	a republic in western Africa on the Atlantic; formerly a French colony; achieved independence from France in 1958
4.	a west African bird having dark plumage mottled with white; native to Africa but raised for food in many parts of the world [syn: guinea fowl]

American Heritage New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition - Cite This Source - Share This
Guinea [(gin-ee)]

Republic in west Africa, bordered by Guinea-Bissau, Senegal, and Mali to the north; Ivory Coast to the east; Liberia to the south; and the Atlantic Ocean to the west. Its capital and largest city is Conarky.

Note: Guinea was once part of the Mali empire.

Note: It became independent of France in 1958.

[Chapter:] World Geography

Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

Guinea

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.

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