ginger

¹

[jin-jer]

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.

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

[jin-jer]

noun

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

ginger

/ 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

verb

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of ginger¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of ginger¹

C13: from Old French gingivre, from Medieval Latin gingiber, from Latin zinziberi, from Greek zingiberis, probably from Sanskrit śr̄ngaveram, from śr̄nga- horn + vera- body, referring to its shape

Example Sentences

The shortage also affected Asahi's soft drinks, such as ginger beer and soda water.

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This elegant drink balances subtle sweetness, tannins, citrus and ginger.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

The exemptions covered other Ghanaian agricultural products including cashew nuts, avocados, bananas, mangoes, plantain, pineapples, coconuts, ginger and peppers, he said.

Read more on Barron's

Its broad surface allowed me to smash garlic and ginger and let me transfer chopped food quickly from the cutting board to a pot.

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Basically, the recipe is asking cooks to simmer their rabbit or chicken in its own broth, enrich it with ground almonds, sweeten with sugar and ginger and serve it forth.

Read more on Salon