释义 |
gin·ger I. \ˈjinjə(r)\ noun (-s) Usage: often attributive Etymology: Middle English ginger, gingere, alteration of gingivere, alteration (influenced by Old French gingembre, gingibre ginger, from Medieval Latin gingiber) of Old English gingifer, modification of Medieval Latin gingiber, alteration of Latin zingiber, from Greek zingiberi, probably modification of Sanskrit śṛngavera 1. : a thickened irregular rhizome that is extremely pungent and aromatic, is widely used as a spice and sometimes in medicine as a carminative, stimulant, or counterirritant, and is usually prepared by drying and grinding to a fine brownish powder — see black ginger, canton ginger, jamaica ginger, limed ginger, white ginger 2. : a tropical perennial herb (Zingiber officinale) that is prob. native to the Pacific islands but is widely cultivated for its rhizome which constitutes most of the ginger of commerce; broadly : any plant of the genus Zingiber 3. : any of various plants of which some part (as root or juice) has a pungency or flavor suggestive of ginger (as various tansies and sedums or the wild gingers) 4. : high spirit : mettle, pep, vigor < written … with the wit, bounce, and ginger that characterize the dances she has composed — New Yorker > < you've got an awful lot of ginger to you — Joseph Hergesheimer > < the only capital he had was the ginger to care hard and work hard — Willa Cather > 5. : a strong brown that is stronger and slightly yellower and darker than average russet, deeper and slightly yellower than rust, and very slightly darker than gypsy — called also Kaiser brown II. transitive verb (gingered ; gingered ; gingering \-nj(ə)riŋ\ ; gingers) 1. : to make lively or animated : stir to activity : pep up : revive < loyalty at home … is always gingered by state executions — Francis Hackett > — often used with up < ginger up the tourist trade — New York Times > < gingering up the flow of revenue — Leslie Charteris > 2. : fig IV 2 III. adjective : having the color of ginger < with a youthful figure and ginger hair — A.J.Liebling > IV. adjective Etymology: back-formation from gingerly chiefly dialect : gingerly V. adverb chiefly dialect : gingerly < got up, handling myself kind of ginger — Helen Eustis > |