What does "guinea" mean?
A gold coin originally worth twenty shillings; later (from 1717 until the adoption of decimal currency) standardised at a value of twenty-one shillings.
Guinea
/ˈɡɪni/ name, noun, slang
name, noun, slang ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A gold coin originally worth twenty shillings; later (from 1717 until the adoption of decimal currency) standardised at a value of twenty-one shillings.
- Grammar: guinea is listed as name, noun, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: bawbee, bob, coin, congress.
- Usage evidence: In the Carteret Islands, near Papua New Guinea, some people have already had to leave their homes because the seawater is washing around their houses.
How to use "guinea"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "guinea" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "guinea" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "guinea" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "guinea" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "guinea" is acting as name, noun, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "bawbee" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "guinea", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A gold coin originally worth twenty shillings; later (from 1717 until the adoption of decimal currency) standardised at a value of twenty-one shillings. British, historical
"English, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Georges, and Louises, doubloons and double guineas and moidores and sequins, the pictures of all the kings of Europe for the last hundred years, strange Oriental pieces stamped with what looked like wisps of string or bits of spider's web, round pieces and square pieces, and pieces bored through the middle, as if to wear them round your neck—nearly every variety of money in the world must, I think, have found a place in that collection..."
- 2 a west African bird having dark plumage mottled with white; native to Africa but raised for food in many parts of the world wordnet
- 3 Synonym of guinea fowl.
"The guineas peeped complainingly, the goslings waddled into all the puddles and came back to chill my skin."
- 4 (ethnic slur) offensive term for a person of Italian descent wordnet
- 5 A person of Italian descent. US, derogatory, ethnic, slang, slur
"If I’m to tell the whole truth—and why not? I sure have the time!—I’ll have to start by saying I was born Richard Pinzetti, in New York’s Little Italy. My father was an Old World guinea."
Show 1 more definition
- 6 a former British gold coin worth 21 shillings wordnet
Proper Noun
- 1 The coastal region of West Africa between Morocco and the Congo, particularly the north shore of the Gulf of Guinea. historical
- 2 A country in West Africa. Official name: Republic of Guinea.
"Among the frontrunners before the conclave began were Pietro Parolin, the Vatican’s secretary of state; Luis Antonio Tagle, a reformer from the Philippines; Péter Erdő, a traditionalist from Hungary; Robert Sarah, a cardinal from Guinea who criticised Francis’s papacy; and the moderate US cardinal Robert Prevost."
- 3 Alternative letter-case form of guinea, an Italian. US, alt-of, derogatory, ethnic, slang, slur
Example
"In the Carteret Islands, near Papua New Guinea, some people have already had to leave their homes because the seawater is washing around their houses."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "guinea"?
Common synonyms include: bawbee, bob, coin, congress, crown, dago.
How do you use "guinea" in a sentence?
In the Carteret Islands, near Papua New Guinea, some people have already had to leave their homes because the seawater is washing around their houses.
How do you pronounce "guinea"?
Pronounced /ˈɡɪni/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
From Portuguese Guiné + -ia, which is of uncertain origin.
Etymology 2
From Guinea, the early modern name for West Africa, the coins originally being made of gold from the region, mostly from the 'Gold Coast' (modern Ghana) and used for African trade, and the guinea fowl being found there. Its use as an ethnic slur against Italians may be due to their darker complexion compared to people of Anglo-American descent.