ginseng

noun

gin·​seng ˈjin-ˌseŋ  -ˌsiŋ 

1

a

: a Chinese perennial herb (Panax ginseng synonym P. schinseng of the family Araliaceae, the ginseng family) having five leaflets on each leaf, scarlet berries, and an aromatic root used in herbal medicine especially in eastern Asia

b

: any of several plants related to ginseng

especially : a North American herb (P. quinquefolius)

2

: the root of a ginseng

Illustration of ginseng

• 1 root
• 2 leaves and flowers

Examples of ginseng in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

At the time, researchers believed that the plant belonged to the ginseng family, known scientifically as Araliaceae. —Newsweek, 18 Dec. 2024

It’s also formulated with ginseng root and sage leaf extract to round out the ingredient trio. —Lisa Desantis, Glamour, 11 Dec. 2024

Damage Taking Root Left: Tsang Yat Fung/A*STAR; Right: iStock Failure-analysis engineers at Singapore’s Agency for Science, Technology, and Research (A*STAR) spotted the roots of a ginseng plant in their investigations. —IEEE Spectrum, 2 Dec. 2024

There’s rosemary for antioxidants, ginseng to fight inflammation and support the skin barrier, and figwort to balance, to name a few. —Celia Shatzman, Forbes, 26 Nov. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Chinese (Beijing) rénshēn

First Known Use

1654, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Kids Definition

ginseng

noun

gin·​seng ˈjin-ˌsaŋ 

-ˌseŋ,

-(ˌ)siŋ

1

: a Chinese herb with small greenish flowers and red berries

also : a closely related herb of North America

2

: the forked fragrant root of the ginseng used especially as a medicine in China

Medical Definition

ginseng

noun

gin·​seng ˈjin-ˌseŋ  -ˌsaŋ  -(ˌ)siŋ 

1

a

: a Chinese perennial herb (Panax ginseng synonym P. schinseng of the family Araliaceae, the ginseng family) having 5-foliolate leaves, scarlet berries, and an aromatic root valued especially locally as a medicine

b

: any of several plants (especially genus Panax) related to or used as substitutes for the Chinese ginseng

especially : a North American woodland herb (P. quinquefolius)

2

: the aromatic root of a ginseng that is used in herbal medicine especially in eastern Asia