/jin"jeuhr/ , n.
1. a reedlike plant, Zingiber officinale, native to the East Indies but now cultivated in most tropical countries, having a pungent, spicy rhizome used in cookery and medicine. Cf. ginger family .
2. any of various related or similar plants.
3. Informal. piquancy; animation: plenty of ginger in their performance of the dance.
4. a yellowish or reddish brown.
v.t.
5. to treat or flavor with ginger.
6. Informal. to impart piquancy or spirit to; enliven (usually fol. by up ): to ginger up a talk with a few jokes.
adj.
7. flavored or made with ginger.
[ bef. 1000; ME ginger, gingivere gingivre gingiber, for zingiberi zingíberis; r. OE gingiber ]