ginger

play

noun gin·ger \ˈjin-jər\

Definition of ginger

1a (1) : a thickened pungent aromatic rhizome that is used as a spice and sometimes medicinally (2) : the spice usually prepared by drying and grinding gingerb : 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
3a : a light reddish or reddish-brown color ginger hairb chiefly British, sometimes offensive : a person with red hair : redhead 1 The Breda Redhead Days festival—which grew out of a photo shoot by Dutch artist Bart Rouwenhorst—now attracts five or six thousand gingers from around the world. — Bruce Ingram

gingery

play \ˈjinj-rē, ˈjin-jə-\ adjective

See ginger defined for English-language learners

See ginger defined for kids

Examples of ginger in a Sentence

The recipe calls for a teaspoon of ginger.
a 60-year-old with the ginger to consider skydiving lessons

Recent Examples of ginger from the Web

Raw, berry-sized Thai eggplants are snappy, slightly bitter surprises in an earthy green short rib curry, with extra layers of flavor from ginger-like finger root and basil.

— jodi mailander farrell, miamiherald, "Cake Thai is an 'invitation to adventure'", 29 June 2017
Signature menu items include a lobster and avocado salad, served with a miso-ginger dressing, and a strip steak.

— sam dangremond, Town & Country, "How Two Manolo Blahnik Executives Became Award-Winning Farmers", 26 June 2017
Preparation Process shallot, garlic, lemongrass, ginger, jalapeño, coriander, cumin, ½ cup cilantro, and 1 Tbsp.

— Bon Appetit, "Lemongrass Curry with Shrimp", 26 June 2017
The vegetable is salted and then usually rubbed with chili powder, garlic, ginger and scallions.

— anna fifield, Washington Post, "To promote kimchi abroad, Korean scientists are trying to get rid of the smell", 22 June 2017
Their line of cans range from a spicy ginger-beer and rum to a gin and tonic infused with crisp cucumber and grapefruit.

— hillary eaton, Fortune, "9 Cocktails You Should Drink Out of Cans This Summer", 17 June 2017
Their Tung Po pork belly arrives in the petite lidded pot it’s cooked in, kept warm over a candle that continues to thicken and caramelize the dark, ginger and soy sauce.

— providence cicero, The Seattle Times, "Peony Kitchen: Chinese food presented with panache in Bellevue", 15 June 2017
Water Grill, in the Gaslamp, serves two succulent jumbo Chesapeake blue crabs, pan sautéed with brown butter and ginger and served with a cool cucumber and watermelon salad.

— michele parente, sandiegouniontribune.com, "6 for the summer: what to eat and drink", 14 June 2017
While sugar was rationed during World War II, James Lee, Sr., would make a personal trip down to Mexico City to bring back enough sugar to make sure Buffalo Rock could continue making its ginger ale up to customer standards.

— AL.com, "13 things you might not know about Buffalo Rock Ginger Ale", 13 June 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'ginger'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of ginger

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

Other Seed Plant Terms

aubergine, box, bramble, briar, composite, perpetual, pulse, trefoil

ginger

verb gin·ger

Definition of ginger

gingered

;

gingering

play \ˈjinj-riŋ, ˈjin-jə-\

transitive verb
: to make lively : pep up ginger up the tourist trade — The New York Times

See ginger defined for English-language learners

1849

First Known Use of ginger

1849

GINGER Defined for English Language Learners

ginger

play

noun

Definition of ginger for English Language Learners

: the strongly flavored root of a tropical plant that is used in cooking
: a spice made from ginger
: a light reddish or reddish-brown color

GINGER Defined for Kids

ginger

play

noun gin·ger \ˈjin-jər\

Definition of ginger for Students

: a hot spice obtained from the root of a tropical plant and used especially to season foods

Medical Dictionary

ginger

play

noun gin·ger \ˈjin-jər\

Medical Definition of ginger

1a: a thickened pungent aromatic rhizome that is used as a spice and sometimes in medicineb: the spice usually prepared by drying and grinding ginger
2: 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 of the ginger of commerce