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Definitions

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition

  1. n. A plant (Zingiber officinale) of tropical southeast Asia having yellowish-green flowers and a pungent aromatic rhizome.
  2. n. The rhizome of this plant, often dried and powdered and used as a spice. Also called gingerroot.
  3. n. Any of several related plants having variously colored, often fragrant flowers.
  4. n. Wild ginger.
  5. n. A strong brown.
  6. n. Informal Spirit and liveliness; vigor.
  7. v. To spice with ginger.
  8. v. Informal To make lively: A steel drum band gingered up the party.

Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia

  1. n. The rhizome, and also the light-yellow substance of the rhizome, of Zingiber officinale a reed-like perennial plant with annual leafy stems 3 or 4 feet high, and flowers in conical spikes borne on distinct leafless stems. The species is a native of the warmer parts of Asia, though not known in a wild state; it is extensively cultivated throughout tropical Asia, and has been introduced into most other tropical countries. The rhizome has a peculiar agreeable, aromatic odor and a pungent taste, and its substance has been in use as a spice from the remotest times. It is distinguished as black or white, according as it retains its dark integument or has had it removed by scraping. The kind now most esteemed is known as Jamaica ginger, and comes mainly from the island of Jamaica. In medicine ginger is used as a carminative stimulant, and externally as a rubefacient and anodyne, but it is employed much more largely as a condiment than as a drug.
  2. Made of or flavored with ginger.
  3. Brittle; tender; delicate.
  4. n. In the West Indies, any one of several species belonging to the genera Costus and Alpinia (Renealmia of many authors).
  5. To put some ‘ginger’ into (a person); shake up; revive.

Wiktionary

  1. n. UK, Cockney rhyming slang a homosexual.
  2. adj. UK, Cockney rhyming slang homosexual.
  3. n. Any plant of a genus (Zingiber, especially Zingiber officinale) of tropical Asiatic and Polynesian herbs of a family (Zingiberaceae, the ginger family) with pungent aromatic rhizomes used as a condiment and as a stimulant and acarminative.
  4. n. The rhizome of this plant used as a spice either as it is or in dried powdered form.
  5. n. A reddish-brown colour/color.
  6. n. colloquial, countable A person with reddish-brown hair; a redhead.
  7. n. colloquial, uncountable vitality, vigour, liveliness (of character)
  8. adj. Of a reddish-brown colour.
  9. adj. flavoured with ginger.
  10. v. To add ginger to.
  11. v. To enliven, to spice (up).
  12. v. To move gingerly.

GNU Webster's 1913

  1. n. (Bot.) A plant of the genus Zingiber, of the East and West Indies. The species most known is Zingiber officinale.
  2. n. The hot and spicy rootstock of Zingiber officinale, which is much used in cookery and in medicine.

WordNet 3.0

  1. n. liveliness and energy
  2. adj. (used especially of hair or fur) having a bright orange-brown color
  3. v. add ginger to in order to add flavor
  4. n. dried ground gingerroot
  5. n. perennial plants having thick branching aromatic rhizomes and leafy reedlike stems
  6. n. pungent rhizome of the common ginger plant; used fresh as a seasoning especially in Asian cookery

Etymologies

  1. Middle English gingere, alteration of gingivere, from late Old English gingifer, gingiber (influenced by Old French gingibre), from Medieval Latin gingiber, zingeber, from Latin zingiberi, from Late Greek ζιγγίβερις (zingíberis), from Middle Indic (cf. Pali siṅgivēra, Sanskrit शृङ्गवेर (śṛṅgavera)) (influenced by शृङ्गं (śṛṅgaṃ) ‘horn’), from Old Tamil iṅci vēr, literally, ‘ginger root’ (mod. Tamil இஞ்சி (iṅci) வேர் (ver)). (Wiktionary)
  2. Middle English gingivere, from Old English gingifer and from Old French gingivre, both from Medieval Latin gingiber, from Latin zingiberi, from Greek zingiberis, of Middle Indic origin (akin to Pali singiveram), from Dravidian : akin to Tamil iñci, ginger (of southeast Asian origin) + Tamil vēr, root. (American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition)

Examples

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Lists

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Comments

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  • jodi IrE for red hair or (AmE) red-head (i.e. red-headed person) Apr 27, 2011

  • mollusque It's not usually pejorative, but it can be used pejoratively, just as blonde can (example.) Jan 29, 2010

  • yarb As a noun it whiffs rather of mockery to my ear. As an adjective describing what in America is called a redhead, no, it's perfectly normal. Jan 28, 2010

  • bilby Not pejorative in Australia. Jan 28, 2010

  • pterodactyl So, this word can refer to people, not just to food? Huh. This comes as a surprise to my American ears. It sounds funny to talk about a "ginger" person.

    Also, can someone please explain to me whether "ginger", in this sense, is pejorative? Jan 28, 2010

  • tiggytig gin·ger /ˈdʒɪndʒər/ jin-jer –noun
    A person of pale yet muddled (freckled) complexion, therewith born with red, but truthfully bright orange or ginger, colored hair. Although often subclassified as a redhead, this genus is technically a distant relative to the redhaired subspecies of human.
    For disambiguation please see Carrot Top, Ron Weasley, and Chucky Finster. Oct 22, 2008

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‘ginger’ has been looked up 2954 times, loved by 3 people, added to 61 lists, commented on 6 times, and has a Scrabble score of 8.