GINGERLY


Meaning of GINGERLY in English

I. -lē, -li adjective

Etymology: perhaps from ginger (I) + -ly

: very cautious or tentative

the issue … was handled only in a gingerly way — W.S.White

gingerly footwork suggested house guests trying to decide whether the lawn is too damp for croquet — New Yorker

II. adverb

Etymology: probably from gingerly (I)

: with extreme care concerning the result of a movement or act : very cautiously

tread their way gingerly over the jagged stones — Brian Murtough

gingerly laid the packages down — John Steinbeck

handles the subject gingerly — H.G.Merriam

Webster's New International English Dictionary.      Новый международный словарь английского языка Webster.