Word
guinea
Phoneticsguinea
US/ˈɡɪni/
UK/ɡˈɪni/
Definitions
01a country
n. a country located on the west coast of Africa.
n. a sovereign nation in West Africa, officially known as the Republic of Guinea.
“The capital of Guinea is Conakry, which is a major port city.”
“Diplomatic relations between the two nations improved significantly after the trade delegation returned from Guinea with a new mining agreement.”
02historical currency
n. an old British gold coin or a sum of money worth 21 shillings.
n. a British gold coin and unit of account used from 1663 to 1816, later fixed at a value of twenty-one shillings.
“In the old novel, the character paid fifty guineas for a fine horse.”
“Even after the guinea was replaced by the sovereign, professional fees for doctors and lawyers were often still quoted in guineas as a mark of status.”
British English · Archaic
Usage
In historical contexts, it refers to a specific value (21 shillings) rather than just a physical coin.
Real-World Examples
“As a result he lived and worked in many troubled zones, including Latin America, the Caribbean and sub-Saharan countries of Africa such as Guinea, Angola, Rwanda, Sudan and Zimbabwe.” “Historian Hassoum Ceesay estimates there are more than 100 groups nationwide, and similar traditions are found in neighbouring Senegal, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau and Sierra Leone.” Etymology
From Portuguese Guiné + -ia, which is of uncertain origin.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/guinea