Emily Dickinson Lexicon

GIN'GER, n. [It. gengiow; Sp. gengibre; Port; gengibre; Fr. gingembre; G. ingber; D. gember; Sw. ingef ara; Dan. ingefcr; L. zinziber; Gr; {foreign}; Arm. zindibel or singebel; Ar. Pers. and Turk. zingibil or zinjabil; Syr. and Ch; nearly the same.]

A plant, or the root of Zingiber officinale, a native of Gingi in China; The roots are jointed, and the stalks rise two or three feet, with narrow leaves. The flower stems arise by the side of these, immediately from the root, naked and ending in an oblong scaly spike; The dried roots are used for various purposes, in the kitchen and in medicine. Encyc.

GINGER-BREAD, n. [ginger and bread.]

A kind of cake, composed of flour with an admixture of butter, pearlash, and ginger, sweetened.

GINGER-LY, ado.

Nicely; cautiously. [Not used.] Skelton.

GINGER-NESS, n.

Niceness; tenderness. [Not used.]

GING'HAM, n.

A kind of striped cotton cloth.

GIN'GING, n.

In mining, the lining of a mine-shaft with stones or bricks for its support, called steining or staining which I suppose is from Sax. stan, stone. Cyc.

GIN'GI-VAL, a. [L. gingiwa the gum.]

Pertaining to the gums. Holden.

GIN'GLE, n.

1. A shrill clattering sound, or a succession o sharp sounds, as those made by a little bell or by small coins.
2. Affectation in the sounds of periods in reading or speaking, or rather chiming sounds.

GIN'GLE, v.t.

To shake so as to make clattering sounds in quick succession; to ring, as a little bell, or as small coins. The bells she gingled, and the whistle blew. Pope.

GIN'GLED, pp.

Shaken so as to ring or make a clattering sound.

GIN'GLING,

m Act of gingling, as bells.

GIN'GLY-MUS, n. [Gr. {foreign}.]

In anatomy, a species of articulation resembling a hinge That species of articulation in which each bone partly receives and is partly received hy the other, so as to adm only of flexion and extension, is called ginglymus. Parr.

GINNED, pp.

Caught in a trap.

GIN'NET, n.

A nag. [See Jennet.]

GINNING, ppr.

Catching in a trap.

GIN'SENG, n. [This word is probably Chinese, and it said by Grosier, to signify the resemblance of a man, or man's thigh; Ile observes abs, that the root in the language of the Iroquois is called garentoquen, which signifies legs and thighs separated. Grosier's China, L. 534.]

A plant, of the genus Panax, the root of which is in great demand among the Chinese; It is found in the northern parts of Asia and America, and is an article of export from America to China. It has a jointed, fleshy, taper root, as large as a man's finger, which when dry is of a yellowish white color, with a mucilaginous sweetness in the taste, somewhat resembling that of licorice, accompanied with a slight bitterness. Encyc.

GIOW-WORM, n.

The female of the Lampyris noctiluca, an insect of the order of Coleopters. It is without wings, and resembles a caterpillar. It emits a shining green light from the extremity of the abdomen; The male is winged and flies about in the evening, when it is attracted by the light of the female. Encyc.

GIP, v.

t, To take out the entrails of herrings. Bailey.

GIP'SIRE, n.

A kind of pouch formerly worn at the girdle. Bulwer.

GIPSY, n.

1. The Gipsies are a race of vagabonds which infest Europe, Africa, and Asia, strolling about and subsisting mostly by theft, robbery and fortune; telling; The name is supposed to be corrupted from Egyptian, as they were thought to have come from Egypt. But their language indicates that they originated in Hindoostan. Grellman.
2. A reproachful name for a dark complexion. Shak.
3. A name of slight reproach to a woman; sometimes int. plying artifice or cunning. A slave I am to Clara's eyes, The gipsy knows her power and flies. Prior.

GIPSY, n.

The language of the gipsies.

GIPSY-ISM, n.

1. The arts and practices of gipsies; deception; cheating; flattery. Grellman
2. The state of a gipsy.

GI-RAFF', n. [Sp. girafa; It. giraffa; Ar. so called from leaping or the extreme length of its neck, front {foreign} zarafa, to leap on, to hasten.]

The camelopard, a quadruped. [See Camelopard.]

GIR'AN-DOLE, n. [It. girandola, from giro, a turn, and andare, to go.]

A chandelier; a large kind of branched candlestick.

GIR'A-SOL, n. [Fr. and Sp; It; girasole; giro, L. gyrus, a turn, It. girare, to turn, and sole, L. sol, the sun.]

1. The turnsole, a plant of the genus Heliotropium.
2. A mineral, usually milk white, bluish white or sky blue, but when turned toward the sun or any bright light, it constantly reflects a reddish color; hence its name. It sometimes strongly resembles a translucid jelly; Cleveland