ginseng

American  

[jin-seng] / ˈdʒɪn sɛŋ /

noun

• ginsengs
  plural

1. any of several plants of the genus Panax, especially P. pseudoginseng, of eastern Asia, or P. qinquefolius, of North America, having an aromatic root used medicinally.

2. the root itself.

3. a preparation made from it.

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ginseng British  

/ ˈdʒɪnsɛŋ /

noun

1. either of two araliaceous plants, Panax schinseng of China or P. quinquefolius of North America, whose forked aromatic roots are used medicinally

2. the root of either of these plants or a substance obtained from the roots, believed to possess stimulant, tonic, and energy-giving properties

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• ginsengs
  plural

Etymology

Origin of ginseng

1645–55; < Chinese (Wade-Giles) jên2 shên1, (Pinyin) rén-shēn, equivalent to rén man + shēn name for a kind of herb

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

ginseng ginsengs

With her personal information leaked, Lee said she has received several unwelcome calls a day from firms trying to sell her insurance, credit cards and red ginseng.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 16, 2025

Inspired by the traditional efficacy of female ginseng, the team tested the compounds for their impact on the formation of cells called osteoclasts, which facilitate bone loss.

From Science Daily ● Feb. 21, 2024

Smith's father had lost savings in an ill-fated ginseng deal, plunging the family into two decades of poverty.

From Salon ● Mar. 29, 2023

The Lynnwood H Mart is where Brandon Ching, a 33-year-old who grew up in Hawaii, goes to find cans of Hawaiian Sun green tea lychee with ginseng.

From Seattle Times ● Mar. 24, 2023

He was going to see his ginseng buyer, with two grocery bags full of the root.

From "October Sky" by Homer Hickam

Whether the Asiatic and the Atlantic American ginsengs are to be regarded as of the same species or not is somewhat uncertain, but they are hardly, if at all, distinguishable.

From Darwiniana; Essays and Reviews Pertaining to Darwinism by Asa Gray