Dictionary
Thesaurus
Encyclopedia
Translator
Web
Related Searches
Nearby Words

french guinea

 - 4 dictionary results

Guin⋅ea

  [gin-ee]
–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
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To french guinea
Cultural Dictionary

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.
The American Heritage® New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source
Word Origin & History

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.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
Cite This Source
Search another word or see french guinea on Thesaurus | Reference
FacebookTwitterFollow us:
Partner Sites:
Ask AnswersEviteExpediaHotelsHotwireLife123LiveDailyMy Way