gi

1 of 6

abbreviation (1)

gill

GI

2 of 6

adjective

ˌjē-ˈī 

1

: provided by an official U.S. military supply department

GI shoes

2

: of, relating to, or characteristic of U.S. military personnel

3

: conforming to military regulations or customs

a GI haircut

GI

3 of 6

noun

plural GIs or GI's ˌjē-ˈīz 

: a member or former member of the U.S. armed forces

especially : a man enlisted in the army

GI

4 of 6

adverb

: in a strictly regulation manner

GI

5 of 6

verb

GI'd ˌjē-ˈīd  ; GI'ing ˌjē-ˈī-iŋ 

transitive verb

: to clean (something) thoroughly in preparation for or as if for a military inspection

The barracks … were in fine order—they'd been GI'd the night before.

—New Republic

GI

6 of 6

abbreviation (2)

1

galvanized iron

2

gastrointestinal

3

general issue; government issue

4

glycemic index

Synonyms of gi

Verb

• clean
• scrub
• rinse

Examples of gi in a Sentence

Verb

in preparation for one of her mother-in-law's dreaded visits, she had GI'd the whole house

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Cooling potatoes after cooking them boosts resistant starch, which lowers the glycemic index (GI). —Lindsey Desoto, Health, 18 Dec. 2025

One tool that helps determine how foods affect your blood sugar is the glycemic index (GI), which ranges from 0 to 100. —Patty Weasler, Verywell Health, 16 Dec. 2025

While traveling from Hawaii en route to Iwo Jima, he was reassigned to Maurice Evans’ Special Entertainment Unit, spending the next 18 months touring the South Pacific as a comedian in GI revue shows, according to The Kennedy Center. —Samantha Stutsman, PEOPLE, 15 Dec. 2025

Oshi Health, a nationwide virtual health clinic specializing in the treatment of digestive issues, found in their survey that women are far more likely than men to suffer from gastrointestinal (GI) distress during the holiday season. —Ayana Underwood, Outside, 11 Dec. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

galvanized iron; from abbreviation used in listing such articles as garbage cans, but taken as abbreviation for government issue

First Known Use

Adjective

1926, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1943, in the meaning defined above

Adverb

1949, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1951, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

GI

1 of 2 adjective

(ˈ)jē-ˈī 

: of, relating to, or characteristic of U.S. military forces

GI

2 of 2 noun

plural GIs or GI's

: a member or former member of the U.S. armed forces

Etymology

Adjective

from the abbreviation for galvanized iron used in listing such articles as garbage cans, but mistaken as standing for government issue

Medical Definition

GI

abbreviation

(ˈ)jē-ˈī 

1

gastrointestinal

2

glycemic index