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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.

Guin⋅e⋅an, adjective, noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To guinea
guin·ea   (gĭn'ē)   
n.  
  1. 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.

  2. 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.]
Guin·ea   (gĭn'ē)   


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  1. 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.

  2. 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: 9,950,000.

Guin'e·an adj. & n.
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.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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