Gin"ger (?), n. [OE. ginger, gingever, gingivere, OF. gengibre, gingimbre, F. gingembre, L. zingiber, zingiberi, fr. Gr. ; of Oriental origin; cf. Ar. & Pers. zenjebil, fr. Skr. gavera, prop., hornshaped; ga horn + vera body.]
1. Bot.
A plant of the genus Zingiber, of the East and West Indies. The species most known is Z. officinale.
2.
The hot and spicy rootstock of Zingiber officinale, which is much used in cookery and in medicine.
Ginger beer ∨ ale, a mild beer impregnated with ginger. -- Ginger cordial, a liquor made from ginger, raisins, lemon rind, and water, and sometimes whisky or brandy. -- Ginger pop. See Ginger beer (above). -- Ginger wine, wine impregnated with ginger. -- Wild ginger Bot., an American herb (Asarum Canadense) with two reniform leaves and a long, cordlike rootstock which has a strong taste of ginger.
© Webster 1913.