Dictionary

gingery en · ADJ

Etymology

Etymology tree Old Tamil 𑀇𑀜𑁆𑀘𑀺 (iñci) Proto-Dravidian *wēr Old Tamil 𑀯𑁂𑀭𑁆 (vēr) Old Tamil 𑀇𑀜𑁆𑀘𑀺𑀯𑁂𑀭𑁆 (iñcivēr)bor. Sauraseni Prakrit 𑀲𑀺𑀁𑀕𑀺𑀯𑁂𑀭 (siṃgivera)der. Ancient Greek ζιγγίβερις (zingíberis)bor. Latin zingiberi Late Latin gingiberbor. Proto-West Germanic *gingiberō Old English gingifer ▲ Old French gingembreinflu. Middle English gingivere Middle English gingere English ginger Proto-Indo-European *-kos Proto-Germanic *-gaz Proto-West Germanic *-g Old English -iġ Middle English -y English -y English gingery From ginger + -y.

Meanings

1. Somewhat reddish or reddish-brown in colour (especially of hair or skin colouring).
   • The very learned gentleman […] has cooled the natural heat of his gingery complexion in pools and fountains of law […] 1852 March – 1853 September, Charles Dickens, “chapter 19”, in Bleak House, London: Bradbury and Evans, […], published 1853, →OCLC:
   • He had bright red hair, not just gingery like Andrew’s […] 1972, Norma Klein, chapter 7, in Mom, the Wolf Man and Me, New York: Avon, page 75:
   • gingery hair / freckles; the gingery fur of a fox
   • He was a small, thick man, with a great rounded, bald head and one thin border of gingery curls. 1898, Arthur Conan Doyle, “The Club-Footed Grocer”, in Round the Fire Stories, London: Smith, Elder & Co., published 1908, page 212:
2. Having reddish-brown hair. (of a person)
   • The red-haired pilgrim was beside himself with the thought that at least this poor Kurtz had been properly revenged. […] He positively danced, the bloodthirsty little gingery beggar. 1899, Joseph Conrad, chapter 2, in Heart of Darkness:
3. Having a flavour or aroma of the spice ginger; containing that spice.
   • a gingery broth / stir-fry
   • Nostalgic, gingery hints of Spanish geranium wafted in her mother’s room […] 2005, Truman Capote, chapter 6, in Summer Crossing, New York: Random House:
4. (dated) Energetic, vigorous, lively, peppy, zippy.
   • 1912, P. R. Bennett, “Patience on a Throne” in Ducdame: A Book of Verses, London: Elliot Stock, p. 44, The man who reads his history of any clime or age Finds characters of potentates disfiguring each page, So touchy and so gingery That every little injury Will send them flying off into a rage.
   • The recent showing of the locals has been a big disappointment to the fans, the team playing loosely, and the gingery coaching and hustling of Hulswitt has been the only redeeming feature. 1911 August 19, Kentucky Irish American, Louisville, Kentucky:
   • The boys have made themselves very popular with the fans here, because a good, gingery gaffe is played all the time, regardless of the score. 1909 March 29, Fred Tenney, “Giants Take Last Game from Dallas”, in New York Times:
   • The door to the street opened and Nobby himself came striding in, all gingery action and alertness, like an Airedale after a dustman. 1994, John Malcolm, chapter 18, in Hung Over, New York: St. Martin’s Press, page 130:
5. (US, dated) Ginger, inhibited, cautious.
   • They are unanimously shy of Ade in their horn-books for sophomores, and they are gingery in their praise of him in their innumerable review articles. 1919, H. L. Mencken, “George Ade”, in Prejudices: First Series, NY: Knopf, page 115:
   • I walked slowly, and with an assumed air of careless indifference. I counterfeited the Comanche walk—not that bold free port—the magnificent and inimitable stride, so characteristic of Chippewa and Shawano, of Huron and Iroquois—but the shuffling gingery step of an English jockey; for such in reality is the gait of the Comanche Indian when afoot. 1857, Thomas Mayne Reid, chapter 93, in The War-Trail, New York: De Witt, page 455:

Forms