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Glite Dictionary
genus Cavia

genus Cavia

8.4
A group of rodents that includes guinea pigs
  • noun
  • /ˈdʒiːnəs ˈkeɪviə/
  • Specialized
translation icon : género Cavia
  • The genus Cavia includes several species of guinea pigs.

Examples

  • The genus Cavia contains several species, the most familiar being the domestic guinea pig.

  • Scientists have studied members of the genus Cavia to understand their social behavior.

  • All animals in the genus Cavia share similar skeletal characteristics.

  • Did you know that genus Cavia is part of the family Caviidae?

  • All animals in the genus Cavia share similar skeletal characteristics.

  • Scientists have studied members of the genus Cavia to understand their social behavior.

  • The genus Cavia contains several species, the most familiar being the domestic guinea pig.

Synonyms

Cavia
vsgenus Cavia
  • Specialized
9.4

A group of animals that includes guinea pigs

is the same name but includes a word showing taxonomic rank

Surface Forms

genus Cavia singular
genera Cavia plural

Morphology

genus + Cavia

This is a straightforward taxonomic noun phrase: combining 'genus' (a biological rank) with the taxon name 'Cavia' yields the genus called Cavia. A B1 learner who knows both constituents can directly infer it refers to the biological genus containing guinea pigs; the compositional naming pattern is regular and cross-linguistically common.

Etymology

Genus Cavia gets its name from the animal it groups. Early explorers used the local word 'cavy' for the 'guinea pig' and scientists turned that into the scientific name Cavia, so genus Cavia means the group of animals that includes guinea pigs.