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

Ground ginger adds a spicy note to cookies such as gingersnaps, preserves, quick breads like gingerbread, and beverages such as ginger ale. — Carole Kotkin, Miami Herald, 9 Sep. 2026

Her close friends included Jackson Browne — who brought the family Christmas gifts and gingerbread cookies every year in his convertible — and Cat Power, who used to take the kids on sleepovers to the Chateau Marmont. — Jeff Weiss, Los Angeles Times, 7 Sep. 2026

His shop sits next door to the Little Haiti cultural complex, designed like a turn-of-the-century Haitian gingerbread house painted in vivid Caribbean yellow and teal. — Chris Kenning, USA Today, 20 Aug. 2026

Each mint green stocking features a nostalgic Christmas village scene with Santa, teddy bears, a rocking horse, a gingerbread house, and woodland creatures, and can be personalized for each family member. — Alexandra Emanuelli, Southern Living, 16 July 2026

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