ginseng

noun

gin·seng | \ˈjin-ˌseŋ,

-ˌsiŋ\

Definition of ginseng

1a : a Chinese perennial herb (Panax ginseng synonym P. schinseng of the family Araliaceae, the ginseng family) having five leaflets on each leaf, scarlet berries, and an aromatic root used in herbal medicine especially in eastern Asia

b : any of several plants related to ginseng especially : a North American herb (P. quinquefolius)

2 : the root of a ginseng

Examples of ginseng in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

An annual lottery for permits to harvest valuable ginseng in North Carolina's mountain national forests will begin June 4. — Bruce Henderson, charlotteobserver, "Lottery set for 'green gold' in NC hills," 29 May 2018 China's consumption of U.S. ginseng grew more than 45 percent from 2016 to 2017, totaling almost $23 million worth. — Max Bayer, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "As China prepares new tariffs, Wisconsin ginseng farmers already feeling the effects," 9 July 2018 Wisconsin produces more than 90% of America’s ginseng, and 95% of that comes from Marathon County. — The Editorial Board, WSJ, "Trump Rides a Harley—to Europe," 25 June 2018 Wisconsin products targeted for retaliatory tariffs by the European Union, Mexico and China include Harley-Davidsons, cranberries, ginseng and apples. — New York Times, "Trump’s Trade War Could Shut Cheesemakers Out of Foreign Markets," 24 June 2018 Permits are needed to collect wild ginseng in the Nantahala and Pisgah national forests during a two-week season from Sept. 1 to Sept. 15. — Bruce Henderson, charlotteobserver, "Lottery set for 'green gold' in NC hills," 29 May 2018 Ginseng Somewhat trickier to grow than the other herbs on this list, ginseng likes rich, moist, cool soils in part shade. — Sunset, "Top 10 Medicinal Plants You Can Grow at Home," 22 Jan. 2018 But Rubin also marketed a health drink made with bee pollen, ginseng, and kelp. — James Sullivan, BostonGlobe.com, "Whatever happened to those radical boomer activists from the ’60s and ’70s?," 6 June 2018 And some supplements, such as garlic, ginkgo biloba, ginseng, and Vitamin E may increase the risk of excess bleeding during and after surgery. — Ronald S. Litman, Philly.com, "New study on supplemental vitamins proves they're useless and a waste of money," 5 June 2018

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

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Last Updated

21 Sep 2018

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The first known use of ginseng was in 1654

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More Definitions for ginseng

ginseng

noun

English Language Learners Definition of ginseng

: a Chinese herb that is used as a medicine

See the full definition for ginseng in the English Language Learners Dictionary

ginseng

noun

gin·seng | \ˈjin-ˌseŋ,

-ˌsaŋ,

-(ˌ)siŋ

Medical Definition of ginseng

1a : a Chinese perennial herb (Panax ginseng synonym P. schinseng of the family Araliaceae, the ginseng family) having 5-foliolate leaves, scarlet berries, and an aromatic root valued especially locally as a medicine

b : any of several plants (especially genus Panax) related to or used as substitutes for the Chinese ginseng especially : a North American woodland herb (P. quinquefolius)