a guinea pig
/ə ˈɡɪni pɪɡ/NEUTRAL · B2
Meaning
someone used to test a new product or method
Examples
- 1I was a guinea pig for my brother's first attempt at baking bread.
- 2The developer used me as a guinea pig for the new booking system.
- 3Before offering the course to everyone, the tutor used me as a guinea pig to try her new method.
- 4Would you be a guinea pig for this prototype and report which buttons don't work?
- 5Being a guinea pig for the app meant testing unfinished features and reporting every fault.
Grammar
Countable: a guinea pig, plural guinea pigs. Often after use someone as or act as; only pig takes the plural ending.
More idioms about animals
All 20 idioms and the topic quiz →monkey businessdishonest or unacceptable behaviourcrocodile tearspretended sadness or regret that is not sincerean eager beaversomeone very keen to work harda red herringsomething that distracts attention from the real issuethe black sheepsomeone whose behaviour embarrasses their family or grouplike water off a duck's backhaving no effect on someone despite criticism or warnings
English Idioms400 idioms in 20 topics — with reviews that keep them from fading
Here you get a couple of questions. The app gives you 16 practice modes, native equivalents and spaced repetition that tells you when it’s time to refresh.
