gingerbread

noun

gin·​ger·​bread ˈjin-jər-ˌbred 

1

: a cake whose ingredients include molasses and ginger

2

[from the fancy shapes and gilding formerly often applied to gingerbread] : lavish or superfluous ornament especially in architecture

gingerbread adjective

gingerbreaded

ˈjin-jər-ˌbre-dəd 

adjective

gingerbready

ˈjin-jər-ˌbre-dē 

adjective

Examples of gingerbread in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Flavors include chocolate orange, chocolate hazelnut, gingerbread, peppermint, pistachio, and vanilla. —Sophia Beams, Better Homes & Gardens, 5 Dec. 2025

There’s even a playhouse that’s been transformed into a gingerbread house, with the owner’s family represented as gingerbread people. —Sacbee.com, 4 Dec. 2025

There will also be woodworking, textile and cooking demonstrations, plus hot cider and gingerbread cookies. —Eric E. Harrison, Arkansas Online, 3 Dec. 2025

The replica was built from 120 pounds of gingerbread. —Bart Jansen, USA Today, 1 Dec. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing gingerbread

• gingerbread man

Rhymes for gingerbread

• abovesaid
• aforesaid
• arrowhead
• casinghead
• copperhead
• figurehead
• fountainhead
• hammerhead
• infrared
• leatherhead
• letterhead
• loggerhead

Kids Definition

gingerbread

noun

gin·​ger·​bread ˈjin-jər-ˌbred 

1

: a cake made with molasses and flavored with ginger

2

: showy ornamentation especially in architecture

gingerbread adjective