gin

1 of 5

noun (1)

1
: a colorless alcoholic beverage made from distilled or redistilled neutral grain spirits flavored with juniper berries and aromatics (such as anise and caraway seeds)
2
a
b
: the act of laying down a full hand of matched cards in gin rummy
ginny adjective

gin

2 of 5

noun (2)

: any of various tools or mechanical devices: such as
b
: a snare or trap for game

gin

3 of 5

verb (1)

ginned; ginning

transitive verb

1
: to come up with : generate
usually used with up
gin up enthusiasm
2
: to separate (cotton fiber) from seeds and waste material
3
: snare
ginner noun

gin

4 of 5

conjunction

dialect
: if

gin

5 of 5

verb (2)

gan ˈgan How to pronounce gin (audio) ; ginning
archaic
: begin

Examples of gin in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
If so desired, it can be served in a large snifter typical of the Spanish-style gin and tonic, but in that case, only fill the glass halfway with ice, leaving plenty of room to savor the aromatics. Jeff Burkhart, The Mercury News, 13 Nov. 2024 The Autumn Negroni is, like a normal Negroni, made of gin, sweet vermouth and Campari, but then also adds Cynar, Fernet Branca, Orange Bitters, and Peychaud’s Bitters. Jason O'Bryan, Robb Report, 2 Nov. 2024
Verb
But Trump’s practice also has been to try to gin up a controversy to distract from other aspects of the story. Ted Johnson, Deadline, 20 Oct. 2024 After achieving surprise early success in the smart glasses market through a partnership with Ray-Ban, Meta is ginning up excitement for the prototype of a much more advanced pair of glasses called Orion, a project nearly a decade in the making. Salvador Rodriguez,jonathan Vanian, CNBC, 10 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for gin 

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

by shortening & alteration from geneva

Noun (2)

Middle English gin, from Anglo-French, short for engin — more at engine entry 1

Conjunction

perhaps by contraction from dialect gif if + an if

Verb (2)

Middle English ginnen, short for beginnen

First Known Use

Noun (1)

1713, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun (2)

13th century, in the meaning defined above

Verb (1)

1583, in the meaning defined at sense 3

Conjunction

1580, in the meaning defined above

Verb (2)

13th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of gin was in the 13th century

Dictionary Entries Near gin

Cite this Entry

“Gin.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gin. Accessed 23 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

gin

1 of 3 noun

gin

2 of 3 verb
ginned; ginning
: to separate (cotton fiber) from seeds and waste material
ginner noun

gin

3 of 3 noun
: a clear strong alcoholic liquor flavored with juniper berries
Etymology

Noun

Middle English gin "a mechanical device, skill, trick," from early French engin (same meaning), from Latin ingenium "natural ability or desire to do something, inborn ability," from in "in" and -genium, from gignere "to father, beget" — related to engine, genius, ingenious

Noun

an altered form of earlier geneva "gin (liquor)," from obsolete Dutch genever, literally, "juniper"

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