guinea pig
nounfeminine/kuˈbajɐ/medium
co·bai·a
Definitions
1An animal, especially a rodent like the guinea pig, used in scientific experiments. By extension, a person or thing subjected to tests or experiments.
Mice are often used as guinea pigs in the laboratory.
The new employees served as guinea pigs for the experimental software.
Common collocations
use as a guinea pigserve as a guinea pighuman guinea piglaboratory guinea pig
2By extension, a person or thing that serves as a test or experiment.
The early users served as guinea pigs for the new application.
I don't want to be the guinea pig for your risky project.
Common collocations
human guinea pigserve as a guinea pig
Idiomatic expressions
- to be a guinea pig (to be used as a test subject)
Etymology
Do tupi 'koba'ya'.