guinea current

Guinea \Guin"ea\ (g[i^]n"[-e]), n.
   1. A district on the west coast of Africa (formerly noted for
      its export of gold and slaves) after which the Guinea
      fowl, Guinea grass, Guinea peach, etc., are named.
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   2. A gold coin of England current for twenty-one shillings
      sterling, or about five dollars, but not coined since the
      issue of sovereigns in 1817.
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            The guinea, so called from the Guinea gold out of
            which it
            was first struck, was proclaimed in 1663, and to go
            for twenty shillings; but it never went for less
            than twenty-one shillings.            --Pinkerton.
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   {Guinea corn}. (Bot.) See {Durra}.

   {Guinea Current} (Geog.), a current in the Atlantic Ocean
      setting southwardly into the Bay of Benin on the coast of
      Guinea.

   {Guinea dropper} one who cheats by dropping counterfeit
      guineas. [Obs.] --Gay.

   {Guinea fowl}, {Guinea hen} (Zool.), an African gallinaceous
      bird, of the genus {Numida}, allied to the pheasants. The
      common domesticated species ({Numida meleagris}), has a
      colored fleshy horn on each aide of the head, and is of a
      dark gray color, variegated with small white spots. The
      crested Guinea fowl ({Numida cristata}) is a finer
      species.

   {Guinea grains} (Bot.), grains of Paradise, or amomum. See
      {Amomum}.

   {Guinea grass} (Bot.), a tall strong forage grass ({Panicum
      jumentorum}) introduced. from Africa into the West Indies
      and Southern United States.

   {Guinea-hen flower} (Bot.), a liliaceous flower ({Fritillaria
      Meleagris}) with petals spotted like the feathers of the
      Guinea hen.

   {Guinea peach}. See under {Peach}.

   {Guinea pepper} (Bot.), the pods of the {Xylopia aromatica},
      a tree of the order {Anonace[ae]}, found in tropical West
      Africa. They are also sold under the name of {Piper
      aethiopicum}.

   {Guinea plum} (Bot.), the fruit of {Parinarium excelsum}, a
      large West African tree of the order {Chrysobalane[ae]},
      having a scarcely edible fruit somewhat resembling a plum,
      which is also called {gray plum} and {rough-skin plum}.

   {Guinea worm} (Zool.), a long and slender African nematoid
      worm ({Filaria Medinensis}) of a white color. It lives in
      the cellular tissue of man, beneath the skin, and produces
      painful sores.
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