Definition

Noun: * Guinea pig: A stout-bodied, nearly tailless, domesticated rodent (Cavia porcellus), often kept as a pet and widely used in biological and medical research.

Usage

• The term cavia cobaya is the former scientific name for the common domestic guinea pig. It is now more accurately classified as .
• This term is primarily used in formal, scientific, or historical contexts, especially in research literature.
• In everyday language, the common name "guinea pig" is almost always used instead.

Examples

• In a research context: "The laboratory study used cavia cobaya to test the vaccine's efficacy."
• In a historical or zoological description: "Linnaeus originally described the species under the name cavia cobaya."

Advanced Usage

• The term can be used metaphorically in very formal writing to refer to a test subject, though "guinea pig" is the standard metaphorical term.
  • Example: "The initial volunteers were the cavia cobaya for the new interface design."

Variants and Related Words

• Guinea pig (n.): The common name for the animal.
• Cavy (n.): A general term for rodents of the genus , which includes both wild and domestic species.
• Laboratory animal (n.): A general term for any non-human animal used in scientific research.
• Subject (n.): In research, an individual organism that is studied.

Synonyms

• Guinea pig
• Domestic cavy
• (current scientific name)

Notes on Meaning

• The primary meaning is zoological and refers specifically to the domesticated animal.
• Its strong association with scientific research is a key aspect of its usage. It does not refer to a type of pig or an animal from Guinea.

Noun

1. stout-bodied nearly tailless domesticated cavy; often kept as a pet and widely used in research