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
Noun
Allen Katz and Tom Potter founded New York Distilling Company in 2011, and have released a range of gins and rye whiskeys over the past 13 years. Jonah Flicker, Robb Report, 25 Feb. 2024 Extra dirty, gin and a twist, shaken or stirred—martinis are undeniably one of the most classic drinks of all time. Christianna Silva, Better Homes & Gardens, 13 Feb. 2024 Or keep the gin but exchange the sweet vermouth for dry to make a Cardinale. Rebekah Peppler, New York Times, 8 Feb. 2024 In the early 20th century, the Bee’s Knees (gin, honey, lemon) and the Brown Derby (bourbon, grapefruit, honey) made their mark, and the former is still a regular at many bars today. M. Carrie Allan, Washington Post, 7 Feb. 2024 Specialty drinks from Ridgeview English sparkling wine, Hampton Court handcrafted gin and rum and Nc’nean whiskey. Marc Malkin, Variety, 4 Mar. 2024 Guests will enjoy a selection of pours from Ridgeview English sparkling wine, Hampton Court handcrafted gin and rum, and Nc’nean whiskey. Chris Gardner, The Hollywood Reporter, 4 Mar. 2024 Celebrity spirits have been a driving force in the gin and Tequila categories. Joseph V Micallef, Forbes, 2 Mar. 2024 There will be prizes and giveaways, with free gin and alcoholic kombucha samplings, and a tailgating atmosphere that might not exist again at the Coliseum after 2024. Jason Mastrodonato, The Mercury News, 22 Feb. 2024
Verb
Now, most of them turn to a distributor, so he’s been trying to gin up interest among home cooks. Kim Severson, New York Times, 10 Mar. 2024 In recent weeks, conspiracy theories have swirled around the Grammy Award winner, with some conservative commentators and other prominent Republicans speculating Swift is some sort of Pentagon plant, ginned up by liberal forces while also boosting the fortunes of the Kansas City Chiefs. USA TODAY, 22 Feb. 2024 Part of it is that this is just how the tradition works: Jews are commanded to practice, not to believe, so each successive generation is required to gin up some plausible reasons why, exactly, the balls ought to be kept in the air. Gideon Lewis-Kraus, The New Yorker, 15 Feb. 2024 In 1990, as a local BJP leader in his native Gujarat, Modi helped organize a religious rally that aimed to gin up support for the construction of a temple to Lord Ram on the site of the Babri Mosque. Yasmeen Serhan, TIME, 18 Jan. 2024 The court's decision to grant the case came just days after Trump appealed the decision of Colorado's top court, which had ruled that Trump was not eligible for another term because of his role in ginning up a mob on Jan. 6, 2021 that rioted at the U.S. Capitol. John Fritze, USA TODAY, 6 Jan. 2024 On the other side, Joe Biden's allies are working to gin up support for a write-in campaign for the president, who is not appearing on the ballot in the state's unsanctioned Democratic primary. Tal Axelrod, ABC News, 23 Jan. 2024 The state alleges Trump and his company ginned up exorbitant values for golf courses, hotels, and more, including Trump’s former home in his namesake tower in New York and his current home at the Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach, Florida. Jennifer Peltz, Fortune, 6 Jan. 2024 President Joe Biden's allies are working to gin up support for a write-in campaign in the party's unsanctioned primary, which is also featuring two long shot challengers, Minnesota Rep. Dean Phillips and author Marianne Williamson. Tal Axelrod, ABC News, 22 Jan. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'gin.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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 28 Mar. 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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