Definition

Noun: 1. A species of rodent; the domesticated guinea pig: Cavia porcellus is the scientific name for the common domestic guinea pig, a small, tailless rodent originally from South America, now kept worldwide as a pet and sometimes for research.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • The species Cavia porcellus is not found in the wild; it is a fully domesticated animal.
  • In biological research, Cavia porcellus has been a model organism for over a century.

Advanced Usage

• In Taxonomy: The name is always written in italics, with the genus () capitalized and the species () in lowercase. It is used in formal scientific and academic contexts to specify the exact species, distinguishing it from other cavies.
  • The study focused on the digestive system of Cavia porcellus.

Variants and Related Words

• Guinea pig (n): The common name for .
  • We have two guinea pigs as family pets.
• Cavy (n): A general term for rodents in the family Caviidae, which includes guinea pigs and their wild relatives like the capybara.
  • The domestic guinea pig is a type of cavy.
• Domestic guinea pig (n): A full descriptive term for .

Synonyms

• Domestic guinea pig
• Guinea pig (in common usage)

Notes on Meaning

• Scientific vs. Common Name: is the precise Latin binomial (scientific name), while "guinea pig" is the common English name. The scientific name is used universally in science to avoid confusion that can arise from varying common names.
• Historical Context: The definition notes it is "possibly ancestral to the domestic guinea pig," indicating that its exact wild ancestor is not definitively known, but itself is the name for the domesticated species we know today.

Noun

1. South American cavy; possibly ancestral to the domestic guinea pig