Wiktionary

ginger

See also: Ginger

English

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Ginger rhizomes.

Pronunciation

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  • (UK) IPA(key): /ˈdʒɪndʒə/
  • Audio (Southern England):(file)
  • (US) IPA(key): /ˈd͡ʒɪnd͡ʒɚ/
  • Rhymes: -ɪndʒə(ɹ)
  • In the UK, the pronunciation /ˈɡɪŋə/ may be jokingly used in disparaging reference to (a person with) the hair colour; it is thus made to rhyme with minger.

Etymology 1

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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 Ancient Greek ζιγγίβερις (zingíberis), from Sauraseni Prakrit 𑀲𑀺𑀁𑀕𑀺𑀯𑁂𑀭 (siṃgivera), ultimately from Dravidian, compare Old Tamil 𑀇𑀜𑁆𑀘𑀺𑀯𑁂𑀭𑁆 (iñcivēr) and Tamil இஞ்சிவேர் (iñcivēr) from இஞ்சி (iñci, “ginger”) + வேர் (vēr, “root”).

Noun

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ginger (countable and uncountable, plural gingers)

  2. The pungent aromatic rhizome of a tropical Asian herb, Zingiber officinale, used as a spice and as a stimulant and acarminative.
  3. The plant that produces this rhizome.
  4. Other species belonging to the same family, Zingiberaceae, especially those of the genus Zingiber
  5. A reddish-brown color.
    ginger:  
  6. (colloquial, often derogatory, countable) A person with reddish hair; a redhead.
  7. (colloquial, uncountable) Vitality, vigour, liveliness (of character).
    • 1918, Official Report of Debates, House of Commons, Canada Parliament House of Commons:
      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.
    • 1990, Nancy Elizabeth Gallagher, Egypt's Other Wars: Epidemics and the Politics of Public Health‎[1]:
      He had, however, "put some more ginger in two nights ago. Things move with exasperating slowness in this country.”
    • 1919, John Maynard Keynes, The Economic Consequences of the Peace‎[2], published 2007, page 77:
      The party managers demanded more “ginger.”
  8. (colloquial, countable and uncountable) Ginger ale, or can or bottle of such (especially if dry).
    • 2018 May 2, pyatts, Tripadvisor‎[3]:
      Can you buy dry ginger in Croatia? If not what is an alternative?
  9. (colloquial, Scotland, especially Glasgow, countable and uncountable) Any fizzy soft drink, or can or bottle of such; pop; soda.
    • 2010, Denise Mina, Still Midnight:
      Here’s, um, not toast but bread, anyway. And a can of ginger.
    • 2015 August 19, Douglas Fraser, bbc.co.uk‎[4]:
      A lot of people will tell you ‘ginger’ tastes best in glass, and there is a science behind that,” says the company’s commercial director.
    • 2016 January 7, Amy, baking with granny.co.uk‎[5]:
      Maybe I was naive in thinking that baking with fizzy juice (soda, ginger, pop, whatever your regional name for the stuff is!) would be straightforward.
Derived terms
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Descendants
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Translations
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Adjective

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ginger (comparative more ginger or (rare) gingerer, superlative most ginger or (rare) gingerest)

  1. (of hair or fur) Of a reddish-brown color.
    • 2003, Chrissie Glazebrook, “The Cadogan Hotel”, in Blue Spark Sisters, London: William Heinemann, →ISBN, page 22:
      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.
    • 2005, Vera M. Black, chapter 8, in Trembling on the Brink, Ilfracombe, Devon: Arthur H. Stockwell Ltd., →ISBN, page 153:
      And her hair’s brilliant red. It’s even gingerer than ours.
    • 2009, Sean Long with Nick Appleyard, “Sozzled in Spain”, in Longy: Booze, Brawls, Sex and Scandal – The Autobiography of the Wild Man of Rugby League, London: John Blake, →ISBN, page 131:
      But as well as being a tough rugby player, Jammer [i.e., James Graham] also has the gingerest hair and palest skin in rugby (and possibly the world).
  2. Having hair or fur of this color.
    a ginger tomcat
    • 2007, Lynsey Hanley, “The Wall in the Head”, in Estates: An Intimate History, London: Granta Books, →ISBN, page 151:
      A chorus of ‘Aaah’s rose as they would in an episode of The Royle Family, while the gingerest boy in school swung his legs on the worktop and pretended he was Jamaican to be more like his mate sitting next to him, who wasn’t Jamaican either, but had parents who were.
    • 2009 April 26, “Ginger squirrels pose new threat”, in Sunday Sport, Manchester: Sport Newspapers Limited, page 3:
      But now evolution has stepped in, the reds are starting to mutate into bright ginger versions of themselves – and they’re here to stay. Leading squirrel expert Tony Handeigh, 48, is excited about the new breed of squirrel and thinks we could see woodland warfare in the future. He says: “I’ve seen one close up and it’s more ginger than Mick Hucknall’s pubes. But when it’s angry it gets even more gingerer.”
    • 2010, James Chambers, “Alexi Lalas: The Genre Buster, General Custer”, in Footballers’ Haircuts: A New History, London: Weidenfeld & Nicolson, →ISBN, page 59:
      He had everything. The Catweazle beard, the headband, the long flowing locks and he’s got to be the gingerest footballer ever (sorry Scholesy).
    • 2011, Lil Chase, Boys for Beginners, London: Quercus, →ISBN, pages 14 (chapter 3) and 192–193 (chapter 22):
      His frizzy ginger hair is all slicked down straight, his sideburns are trimmed, and he’s wearing a suit. […] That is the rudest thing that anyone has ever said to me! Coming from my own father means that it’s twenty billion times worse. ‘Well, you’re . . . you’re . . . you’re the gingerest person in the world!’ I don’t know if that hurt or not.
    • 2017 October 10, Jessica Townsend, “Happy Hour at the Hotel Deucalion”, in Nevermoor: The Trials of Morrigan Crow, Sydney, N.S.W.: Lothian, Hachette Australia, →ISBN, page 100:
      The walls of Jupiter’s study were lined with bookshelves and framed photographs, mostly of strange landscapes and people. Jupiter himself only popped up in a few of them – younger, gingerer, skinnier, less beardy.
Derived terms
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Translations
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Verb

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ginger (third-person singular simple present gingers, present participle gingering, simple past and past participle gingered)

  1. (transitive) To add ginger to.
    • 2009, Isa Chandra Moskowitz, Vegan Cookies Invade Your Cookie Jar‎[6]:
      They gingered the biscotti, black and whited the cookies and oated the meals.
    • 2013, Suzanne Woods Fisher, The Letters (The Inn at Eagle Hill Book #1): A Novel:
      The first breather of the day came when Naomi brought some gingered lemonade out to the barn.
  2. (idiomatic, transitive) To enliven, to spice (up).
    • 1982, Lawrence Durrell, Constance, Faber & Faber, published 2004, page 886:
      The accident was an excuse merely to replace an old-fashioned regular with old-fashioned notions by an active, fire-eating young general who would ginger things up.
    • 2004, Eric Larrabee, Commander in Chief: Franklin Delano Roosevelt, His Lieutenants, and Their War, page 464:
      Before an action began, he liked to make bold predictions as to its outcome; this was part of his way of gingering people up, of creating an aura of victory to come.
    • 2007, J. Stephen Lang, The Bible on the Big Screen: A Guide from Silent Films to Today's Movies:
      Regarding this human angle, DeMille wrote, "I am sometimes accused of gingering up the Bible with large and lavish infusions of sex and violence. I can only wonder if my accusers have ever read certain parts of the Bible."
  3. (transitive) To apply ginger to the anus of a horse to encourage it to carry its tail high and move in a lively fashion.
    • 1850, William Percivall, editor, The Veterinarian‎[7], page 594:
      If he had been gingered, he would have gone well. After I bought him, I gingered him.
    • 1884, The British Veterinary Journal‎[8], volume 18, page 426:
      Gingering is decided cruelty.
    • 1893, Baily's Magazine of Sports & Pastimes‎[9], volume 60, page 161:
      There he is, moving in his best form, with the full knowledge that that long whip in his rear will once more be round his flanks, as it has often been before, if he fails to wake up when he comes out for a show—well gingered, too, we should say, and all life and action.
  4. (Nigeria, transitive) To inspire (someone); to give a little boost to.
    • 2002, K. K. Prah, Rehabilitating African Languages:
      These steps may not be immediately popular, but the society may have to bear with them until they succeed in gingering renewed interest and pride in the language so chosen.
    • 2006, Africa e Mediterraneo: cultura, politica, economia, società:
      In conclusion, intensive campaigns should be done in relation to gingering the nomads' interest in education, improve their interaction with neighbours and encourage them to start considering a more sedentary pastoral life.
    • 2015, “19-year-old student at a music school in Nigeria”, in BBC Newshour:
      I attended their concert first, so that was what gingered me to continue this school.
Derived terms
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Translations
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See also

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Etymology 2

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Back-formation from gingerly (adverb).[1]

Adjective

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ginger (comparative more ginger or (rare) gingerer, superlative most ginger or (rare) gingerest)

  2. (chiefly British, regional, Canada, US) Very careful or cautious; also, delicate, sensitive. [from early 16th c.]
    Synonyms: gingerish, gingerly
    • 1899 April 1, Richard Stillman Powell [pseudonym; Ralph Henry Barbour], “The President and Tom Collins”, in The Saturday Evening Post, volume 171, number 40, Philadelphia, Pa.: The Curtis Publishing Company, →ISSN, page 626, column 2:
      He’s going to get an interview about ten o’clock, making the old gentleman predict war, and we’ll get out the gingerest kind of a special on the strength of it!
    • 1921 January 29, W. Harold Johnson, “[The Automobile World.] My Ideal Small Car Specification”, in Country Life: The Journal for All Interested in Country Life & Country Pursuits, volume XLIX, number 1277, London, page lxvi, column 1:
      Wherefore, although for my own car I want the “gingerest” possible engine, I realise that it has shortcomings for the general market and I would commend to designers the ideal of an engine that shall be as “woolly” as possible, so long as its artificially restricted dimensions shall not cause its owner to find himself unable to tackle respectable gradients.
    • 1928 February 15, “Coney Island”, in Variety, volume XC, number 5, New York, N.Y.: Variety, Inc., →ISSN, page 27, column 3:
      “Coney Island” is by far the best picture the Hip has had. That says very little for a house that has held the worst, but this F. B. O. [Film Booking Offices] will do business this week for the Hip because it more than makes good under one of the gingerest of names. And a name that should draw by itself.
    • 2006, John W. McGinley, About the King’s Choice to Build His Palace Right on Top of a Dunghill: (Or, How to Conceptualize Jewishly), Lincoln, Neb.: iUniverse, →ISBN, page 540:
      They, the Rabbis, for better or for worse, were very ginger with this question.
    • 2007, Flypast:
      After a very ginger landing, everyone aboard was able to see up close how lucky they had been to reach base.
    • 2009, Franklin Newman, The Prophetess of Bromfryel: The Knights of Callistor, page 509:
      Moving very slowly, taking extremely ginger steps, the woman felt beads of sweat dripping down from her body.
    • 2011, Craig Russell, chapter 5, in The Deep Dark Sleep (Lennox; 3), London: Quercus, →ISBN, page 106:
      My face hurt like a son of a bitch every time I placed even the gingerest of fingertips on it, but from what I could see from my reflection in the broad blade of my letter opener, it still hadn’t swollen.
    • 2013, T. D. Badyna, chapter 4, in Flick, Whistle-Bit Books, →ISBN, page 44:
      To walk, each crutch he kinda hopped forward a little and used his torso to drag his legs after, using them as the gingerest element of a tripod.
    • 2015, James Hannah, “Rib”, in The A to Z of You and Me, London: Black Swan, Transworld Publishers, →ISBN, page 221:
      Silence settles once more between us all, filled only by the gingerest of clinks of forks reluctantly hovering over flesh.
Derived terms
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Adverb

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ginger (comparative more ginger, superlative most ginger)

  1. In a very careful or cautious manner; also, delicately, sensitively.
    Synonym: gingerly

Verb

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ginger (third-person singular simple present gingers, present participle gingering, simple past and past participle gingered)

  1. To move gingerly, in a very careful and cautious manner.
    • 1972 September 1, Paul Hemphill, “I Gotta Let the Kid Go”, in Life, volume 73, number 9, →ISSN, page 42:
      Spring training began on Christmas Day, when my cousin and I gingered onto the lot behind the fire station to try out our new spikes.
    • 1979, Bill Marshall, Bukom, Longman, →ISBN, page 83:
      She gingered her way into the river and timidly splashed into its waters.
    • 1992, Donald Anderson, “My Name Is Stephen Mann”, in Aethlon, University of Iowa Press, published 2001, →ISBN, page 11:
      I gingered my hands into my grandfather’s [boxing] gloves.
    • 2009, Montana Kid Hammer, The Old West Adventures of Ornery and Slim: The Partnership, AuthorHouse, →ISBN, page 47:
      Takin’ good care not to topple into the depths o’ this muddy ol’ ooze, I gingered my way across the muddy path along the river’s edge until I arrived at that big hat.

Etymology 3

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Cockney rhyming slang: ginger beer, queer.

Noun

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ginger (plural gingers)

  1. (UK, Cockney rhyming slang) A homosexual.

Adjective

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ginger (not comparable)

  1. (UK, Cockney rhyming slang) Homosexual.

References

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  1. ^ “ginger, adj.2 (and adv.)”, in OED Online  ⁠, Oxford: Oxford University Press, June 2019.

Anagrams

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