Glossary

capybara n   [Pg capibara, fr. Tupi] : a tailess largely aquatic South American rodent (Hydrochoerus capybara) often exceeding four feet in length.

cavy n,  pl  cavies [NL Cavia, genus name, from obsolete Portuguese cavia (now savia ), from Tupi sawiya  rat]  1 :  any of several short-tailed roughhaired South American rodents (family Caviidae); esp :  GUINEA PIG  2  :  any of several rodents related to the cavies.

guinea pig n  1 :  a small stout-bodied short-eared nearly tailess domesticated rodent (Cavia cobaya ) often kept as a pet and widely used in biological research -- called also cavy.

pika n {Tungusic piika] : any of various short-eared small lagomorph mammals (family Ochotonidae) of rocky uplands of Asia and western North America that are related to the rabbits.

Webster's Seventh New Collegiate Dictionary ©1965 Webster's New Collegiate Dictionary ©1977

guinea pig n. 1. Any of various small, short-eared domesticated rodents of the genus Cavia , having variously colored hair and no visible tail.  They are widely kept as pets and often used as experimental animals.

pika n. Any of several small, tailless, furry mammals of the genus Ochotona of the mountains of North America and Eurasia, resembling guinea pigs but belonging to the order of lagomorphs that includes the hares and rabbits. Also called coney1, rock rabbit.

American Heritage Dictionary - Standard Edition