[gin.ger] n [ME, fr. OE gingifer, fr. ML gingiber, alter. of L zingiber, fr. Gk zingiberi, ultim. fr. Pali singivera] (bef. 12c) 1 a (1): a thickened pungent aromatic rhizome that is used as a spice and sometimes medicinally (2): the spice usu. prepared by drying and grinding ginger b: any of a genus (Zingiber of the family Zingiberaceae, the ginger family) of herbs with pungent aromatic rhizomes; esp: a widely cultivated tropical herb (Z. officinale) that supplies most of the ginger of commerce
2: high spirit: pep "the ~ to care hard and work hard --Willa Cather"
3: a strong brown -- gin.gery adj
[2]ginger vt gin.gered ; gin.ger.ing (1849): to make lively: pep up "~ up the tourist trade --N.Y. Times"