gin

1 of 5

noun (1)

1
: a colorless alcoholic beverage made from distilled or redistilled neutral grain spirits flavored with juniper berries and aromatics (such as anise and caraway seeds)
2
a
b
: the act of laying down a full hand of matched cards in gin rummy
ginny adjective

gin

2 of 5

noun (2)

: any of various tools or mechanical devices: such as
b
: a snare or trap for game

gin

3 of 5

verb (1)

ginned; ginning

transitive verb

1
: to come up with : generate
usually used with up
gin up enthusiasm
2
: to separate (cotton fiber) from seeds and waste material
3
: snare
ginner noun

gin

4 of 5

conjunction

dialect
: if

gin

5 of 5

verb (2)

gan ˈgan How to pronounce gin (audio) ; ginning
archaic
: begin

Examples of gin in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Specialty drinks from Ridgeview English sparkling wine, Hampton Court handcrafted gin and rum and Nc’nean whiskey. Marc Malkin, Variety, 4 Mar. 2024 Guests will enjoy a selection of pours from Ridgeview English sparkling wine, Hampton Court handcrafted gin and rum, and Nc’nean whiskey. Chris Gardner, The Hollywood Reporter, 4 Mar. 2024 Celebrity spirits have been a driving force in the gin and Tequila categories. Joseph V Micallef, Forbes, 2 Mar. 2024 There will be prizes and giveaways, with free gin and alcoholic kombucha samplings, and a tailgating atmosphere that might not exist again at the Coliseum after 2024. Jason Mastrodonato, The Mercury News, 22 Feb. 2024 Also available are $12 glasses of the Kansas City Ice Water made with vodka, gin and lime soda, as well as the Horsefeather made with whiskey ginger syrup, soda and aromatic bitters. Brianna Taylor, Sacramento Bee, 7 Feb. 2024 The classic drink contains lemon juice, gin, Grand Marnier and Italian vermouth. Ronnie Koenig, Forbes, 28 Feb. 2024 Perfectly charming over ice, or mixed into your favorite gin cocktail. Ellen Fort, Saveur, 8 Feb. 2024 The complimentary three-drink lineup includes the Brooklyn, a Vesper martini, and a sweet-smelling Negroni that will transport you Upstate thanks to the aromatic, tart apple gin from Hudson Valley that’s been mixed in there. Chadner Navarro, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Feb. 2024
Verb
The court's decision to grant the case came just days after Trump appealed the decision of Colorado's top court, which had ruled that Trump was not eligible for another term because of his role in ginning up a mob on Jan. 6, 2021 that rioted at the U.S. Capitol. John Fritze, USA TODAY, 6 Jan. 2024 On the other side, Joe Biden's allies are working to gin up support for a write-in campaign for the president, who is not appearing on the ballot in the state's unsanctioned Democratic primary. Tal Axelrod, ABC News, 23 Jan. 2024 The state alleges Trump and his company ginned up exorbitant values for golf courses, hotels, and more, including Trump’s former home in his namesake tower in New York and his current home at the Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach, Florida. Jennifer Peltz, Fortune, 6 Jan. 2024 President Joe Biden's allies are working to gin up support for a write-in campaign in the party's unsanctioned primary, which is also featuring two long shot challengers, Minnesota Rep. Dean Phillips and author Marianne Williamson. Tal Axelrod, ABC News, 22 Jan. 2024 Anyway, at least SNL pals Kristen Wiig and Will Ferrell ginned up an inspired, silly little bit involving a dumb song that keeps interrupting them mid-presenting. Marlow Stern, Rolling Stone, 8 Jan. 2024 Other exceptions include a Hannah Waddingham-Octavia Spencer assassin series (think Thelma & Louise meets Jack Ryan, according to sources) and a propulsive Amy Adams thriller from Academy Award-winning screenwriter Graham Moore, both of which ginned up multiple offers. Lesley Goldberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 7 Dec. 2023 Other online publishing companies have already begun using AI to churn out huge amounts of new content with a goal of winning Google search traffic to gin up ad revenue. Elahe Izadi, Washington Post, 27 Dec. 2023 The meet generally regarded as the first intercollegiate athletic contest, the 1852 Harvard-Yale boat race on Lake Winnipesaukee in New Hampshire, was openly a profit-making event, sponsored by a railroad magnate conniving to gin up tourist interest in the lake and its environs. Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 29 Nov. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'gin.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

by shortening & alteration from geneva

Noun (2)

Middle English gin, from Anglo-French, short for engin — more at engine entry 1

Conjunction

perhaps by contraction from dialect gif if + an if

Verb (2)

Middle English ginnen, short for beginnen

First Known Use

Noun (1)

1713, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun (2)

13th century, in the meaning defined above

Verb (1)

1583, in the meaning defined at sense 3

Conjunction

1580, in the meaning defined above

Verb (2)

13th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of gin was in the 13th century

Dictionary Entries Near gin

Cite this Entry

“Gin.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gin. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

gin

1 of 3 noun

gin

2 of 3 verb
ginned; ginning
: to separate (cotton fiber) from seeds and waste material
ginner noun

gin

3 of 3 noun
: a clear strong alcoholic liquor flavored with juniper berries
Etymology

Noun

Middle English gin "a mechanical device, skill, trick," from early French engin (same meaning), from Latin ingenium "natural ability or desire to do something, inborn ability," from in "in" and -genium, from gignere "to father, beget" — related to engine, genius, ingenious

Noun

an altered form of earlier geneva "gin (liquor)," from obsolete Dutch genever, literally, "juniper"

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