ginger

noun

• 1a hot fragrant spice made from the rhizome of a plant. It is chopped or powdered for cooking, preserved in syrup, or candied.
• spirit; mettle:he had more ginger than her first husband

• 2a Southeast Asian plant, which resembles bamboo in appearance, from which this rhizome is taken.

  • Zingiber officinale, family Zingiberaceae

• 3a light reddish-yellow color.

adjective

• (chiefly of hair or fur) of a light reddish-yellow color.
• (of a person or animal) having ginger hair or fur.

verb

• 1 (usually as adjective gingered) flavor with ginger:gingered chicken wings

• 2 (ginger someone/something up) stimulate; enliven:she slapped his hand lightly to ginger him up