Jump To:

• ginger
  ginger

  noun

  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.
• Ginger
  Ginger

  noun

  a female given name, form of Virginia or Regina.

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.

---

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.

---

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

---

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

Explanation

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.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

ginger Ginger

Add minced garlic, minced ginger and red pepper flakes and cook until fragrant.

From Salon ● Jul. 22, 2026

"How did the spiders choose an invasive species and ginger exactly?"

From Science Daily ● Jul. 9, 2026

But I gamely soldiered back into the sunlight and onto the pathways that line the National Mall, each ginger step kicking up dust.

From Slate ● Jun. 5, 2026

A special “Chef’s Table” meal featured pumpkin and ginger soup, a duo of rock lobster and beef tenderloin, and a carrot panna cotta dessert, Moraes posted.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 7, 2026

Genie flushed, embarrassed once more, but also super happy to have that ginger beer because the thirst was real.

From "As Brave As You" by Jason Reynolds

“Don’t fix something that isn’t broken,” said Ginger Wallis, 50 years old, who lives at the base of a hill covered in flammable grass, her eyes flashing.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 15, 2026

Meanwhile, his brother Jason talked about the pressure on the couple during an appearance on Andrew Santino's Whiskey Ginger podcast.

From BBC ● Jul. 1, 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 speaks fluent Spanish and basic Portuguese and French.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 20, 2026

I knew, of course, that Ginger referred to Nadia's beloved and talented dog, So I thought that perhaps Annie's Sandy was a video game played by the canine orders.

From "The View From Saturday" by E.L. Konigsburg