ginger

¹ American  

[jin-jer] / ˈdʒɪn dʒər /

noun

1. a reedlike plant, Zingiber officinale, native to South Asia but now cultivated in many tropical countries, having a pungent, spicy rhizome used in cooking and medicine.

2. any of various plants related to or similar to Zingiber officinale.

3. the rhizome of Zingiber officinale, ground, chopped, etc., and used as a flavoring.

4. Informal. piquancy; animation.

   There was plenty of ginger in their performance of the dance.

5. a yellowish or reddish brown.

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verb (used with object)

1. to treat or flavor with ginger, the spicy rhizome of the Zingiber officinale plant.

2. Informal. to impart piquancy or spirit to; enliven (usually followed byup ).

   to ginger up a talk with a few jokes.

adjective

1. flavored or made with ginger, the spicy rhizome of the Zingiber officinale plant.

Ginger ² American  

[jin-jer] / ˈdʒɪn dʒər /

noun

1. a female given name, form of Virginia or Regina.

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ginger British  

/ ˈdʒɪndʒə /

noun

1. any of several zingiberaceous plants of the genus Zingiber, esp Z. officinale of the East Indies, cultivated throughout the tropics for its spicy hot-tasting underground stem See also galangal Compare wild ginger

2. the underground stem of this plant, which is used fresh or powdered as a flavouring or crystallized as a sweetmeat

3. any of certain related plants

4. 1. a reddish-brown or yellowish-brown colour

   2. ( as adjective )

      ginger hair

5. informal liveliness; vigour

6. informal a person with ginger hair

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verb

1. (tr) to add the spice ginger to (a dish)

Etymology

Origin of ginger

First recorded before 1000; Middle English ginger, gingivere from Old French gingivre, from Latin gingiber, for zingiberi from Greek zingíberis; replacing Old English gingiber from Latin, as above

Example Sentences

Aromatics are sizzled — onion, garlic, ginger — followed by tomato and warming spices, including cinnamon and smoked chile.

From Salon • Apr. 3, 2026

At Sainsbury's the range is similarly extensive with orange marmalade, salted caramel, carrot, cherry, rhubarb, ginger and cinnamon.

From BBC • Mar. 27, 2026

There is Kyle Troup, the ginger haired “Pro with the Fro” — “I guess I’m the Bob Ross of bowling,” he says, though you may also think of Richard Simmons — clownish, with colorful dress.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 16, 2026

The son would respond, “a double,” and then take his ginger ale.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 5, 2026

But he had not imagined that they would smell so bad, Charles the plump one wearing a squashed hat and Charles the redhead with his chin covered in ginger hair.

From "Half of a Yellow Sun" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie