Main Entry: ¹gin·ger

Pronunciation: \ˈjin-jər\

Function: noun

Etymology: Middle English, alteration of Old English gingifer, from Medieval Latin gingiber, alteration of Latin zingiber, from Greek zingiberi, of Indo-Aryan origin; akin to Pali siṅgivēra ginger

Date: before 12th century

1 a (1) : a thickened pungent aromatic rhizome that is used as a spice and sometimes medicinally (2) : the spice usually prepared by drying and grinding ginger b : any of a genus (Zingiber of the family Zingiberaceae, the ginger family) of herbs with pungent aromatic rhizomes; especially : a widely cultivated tropical herb (Z. officinale) that supplies most commercial ginger — compare wild ginger
2 : pep <the ginger to…work hard — Willa Cather>
3 : a light reddish or reddish-brown color <ginger hair>

— gin·gery \ˈjinj-rē, ˈjin-jə-\ adjective