ginseng
Americannoun
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ginsengs
plural
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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.
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the root itself.
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a preparation made from it.
noun
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either of two araliaceous plants, Panax schinseng of China or P. quinquefolius of North America, whose forked aromatic roots are used medicinally
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the root of either of these plants or a substance obtained from the roots, believed to possess stimulant, tonic, and energy-giving properties
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
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
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
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
From a north central county known for ginseng farming and downhill skiing, he has served on the local school board, the Marathon County Board and the village board of trustees in Weston, population 15,000.
From New York Times ● Apr. 6, 2024
Bobo’s remains were eventually found in some woods by ginseng hunters in September 2014.
From Seattle Times ● Feb. 27, 2024
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
He was in Welch selling more ginseng for our zinc-dust money and had seen me from the street.
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
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