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

Madigan won the Academy Award for supporting actress for her turn as the ginger wig-donning witch Aunt Gladys in Zach Cregger’s “Weapons.”

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 15, 2026

The black, white and ginger mother was discovered by the landlord crawling in and out of the house through the hole in the front door.

From BBC • Mar. 1, 2026

Ilya passes Shane his signature ginger ale across the counter and says, “You like tuna melt?”

From Salon • Feb. 15, 2026

That changed with his dramatic return and hero's welcome in December, accompanied by his fluffy ginger cat, Jebu, images of which have gone viral on Bangladeshi social media.

From Barron's • Feb. 13, 2026

He was as tall and thin as his master was short and round, with a thatch of close-cropped ginger hair on top of a face that was so pale it was almost paper white.

From "Stormbreaker" by Anthony Horowitz