I. ˈginē, -ni adjective
Usage: usually capitalized
1.
[from Guinea, region in West Africa]
a. : of or from the region of Guinea, West Africa : of the kind or style prevalent in the region of Guinea
b. : trading with Guinea
a Guinea merchant
Guinea ships
2.
[from Guinea, republic in West Africa]
: of or from the Republic of Guinea : of the kind or style prevalent in the Republic of Guinea
II. noun
( -s )
Etymology: after Guinea, region in West Africa
1.
a.
[so called from the fact that it was supposedly first made out of gold from Guinea]
: an English gold coin issued from 1663 to 1813 and fixed in 1717 as the equivalent of 21 shillings
b. : a unit of value equivalent to one guinea coin
a five- guinea coin
c. : a unit of value equal to 21 shillings
accounts are sometimes kept in and prices are sometimes quoted in guineas
d. : the Saudi Arabian sovereign first issued in 1951
2.
a. : a slave newly imported into the United States from Africa
b. : a person noticeably foreign
c. slang : italian — usually used disparagingly
d. usually capitalized : one of a group of people of mixed white, Indian, and Negro ancestry who live chiefly in West Virginia and Maryland — often used disparagingly
3.
[by shortening]
: guinea fowl
4. : one who works in or about a stable ; specifically : a horse groom