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

Entries for its 2025 Annual National Gingerbread House Competition are now being accepted, after it the event was canceled last year — though the inn put gingerbread displays all around Asheville instead. —Charlotte Observer, 26 Sep. 2025

Choose from a pink or green Christmas tree shape or a brown or light purple gingerbread house shape. —Abigail Wilt, Southern Living, 26 Sep. 2025

See the whistlers mimicking birdsong on Vogelpfeifer whistles, test your strength at the Hau den Lukas strongman game and munch on the traditional Lebkuchen gingerbread cookies. —Rebecca Deurlein, Forbes.com, 16 Sep. 2025

Paul says the gingerbread is tasty too. —Brian Moylan, Vulture, 12 Sep. 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