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.
any of various plants related to or similar to Zingiber officinale.
the rhizome of Zingiber officinale, ground, chopped, etc., and used as a flavoring.
Informal. piquancy; animation.
There was plenty of ginger in their performance of the dance.
a yellowish or reddish brown.
to treat or flavor with ginger, the spicy rhizome of the Zingiber officinale plant.
Informal. to impart piquancy or spirit to; enliven (usually followed byup ).
to ginger up a talk with a few jokes.
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
the underground stem of this plant, which is used fresh or powdered as a flavouring or crystallized as a sweetmeat
any of certain related plants
a reddish-brown or yellowish-brown colour
( as adjective )
ginger hair
informal liveliness; vigour
informal a person with ginger hair
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
Ginger is a plant with a thick root that's used to spice food. You can make homemade ginger ale using grated ginger. Ginger is an important spice all over the world, appearing in things like ginger beer, ginger bread, many Indian dishes, Chinese food, and ginger tea. Since ginger is native to South Asia, it's most commonly found in countries on that continent. Many people use ginger as a home remedy or medicine, as well as a food. In Britain, and increasingly in the US, it's common to describe red hair as ginger.
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The tall stems of daisies bend above the delicate petals of peonies on a Raspberry Yogurt Basil Cake; a single nasturtium blossom tops an Earl Grey Butterfly Pea Ginger Mini Cake.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 26, 2026
Within days, Ginger was told she needed an ultrasound.
From BBC • Jun. 20, 2026
"I was on high doses of vitamin C, vitamin D, turmeric, a special de-bloat supplement and I would regularly drink water with electrolytes in," Ginger explains.
From BBC • Jun. 20, 2026
But Ginger is the epitome of Download, and he received a rapturous response when he told us "we're here to celebrate life".
From BBC • Jun. 15, 2026
Ginger had grown sleek and muscular with our long turtle walks.
From "The View From Saturday" by E.L. Konigsburg
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
