ginger

Meanings

1. 1
   adj

   having a bright orange-brown color, especially hair or fur

   A person with ginger hair and bright blue eyes.

2. 2
   verb

   add ginger to in order to add flavor

   ginger the soup

3. 3
   noun

   Vitality, vigour, liveliness (of character).

   The position in the country and in this House might be well expressed by a reference to the recent activities of the ginger party in Great Britain — the party that demanded that more ginger be put into the conduct of the war.

4. 4
   noun

   Ginger ale, or can or bottle of such (especially if dry).

   Can you buy dry ginger in Croatia? If not what is an alternative?

5. 5
   noun

   Any fizzy soft drink, or can or bottle of such; pop; soda.

   Here’s, um, not toast but bread, anyway. And a can of ginger.

6. 6
   adj

   Of a reddish-brown color.

   My eyes track upwards past the shoes to a pair of skinny legs, skinnier than mine, then to a tight black mini. Above that is a crisp white shirt. And crowning the whole thing is a mop of the gingerest hair I’ve ever seen in my life.

7. 7
   adj

   Having hair or fur of this color.

   a ginger tomcat

8. 8
   verb

   To add ginger to.

   They gingered the biscotti, black and whited the cookies and oated the meals.

Etymology

Etymology tree Old Tamil 𑀇𑀜𑁆𑀘𑀺 (iñci) Proto-Dravidian *wēr Old Tamil 𑀯𑁂𑀭𑁆 (vēr) Old Tamil 𑀇𑀜𑁆𑀘𑀺𑀯𑁂𑀭𑁆 (iñcivēr)bor. Sauraseni Prakrit 𑀲𑀺𑀁𑀕𑀺𑀯𑁂𑀭 (siṃgivera)der. Ancient Greek ζιγγίβερις (zingíberis)bor. Late Latin zingiberi Late Latin gingiberbor. Proto-West Germanic *gingiberō Old English gingifer ▲ Old French gingembreinflu. Middle English gingivere Middle English gingere English ginger Inherited from Middle English gingere, alteration of gingivere, from Old English gingifer, gingiber (influenced by Old French gingembre), from Medieval Latin gingiber, zingiber, from Latin zingiberi, from Late An…