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
ginned; ginning
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
dialect
: if
Examples of gin in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Heidi Finley, Charlotte Observer, 30 Oct. 2025
In a cocktail shaker or mixing glass filled with ice, combine the gin, vermouth and absinthe.
—The New York Times News Service Syndicate, Denver Post, 28 Oct. 2025
Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 24 Sep. 2025
The libertines will be- gin the film in suits.
—Harpers Magazine, 23 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for gin
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Noun
The Matthews distillery opened by friends Matt Simpkins and Thomas Bogan uses North Carolina grains to make a variety of spirits, including whiskey, vodka, rum and gin.
—Heidi Finley, Charlotte Observer, 30 Oct. 2025
In a cocktail shaker or mixing glass filled with ice, combine the gin, vermouth and absinthe.
—The New York Times News Service Syndicate, Denver Post, 28 Oct. 2025
Verb
The tweets appeared to be an attempt to gin up outrage over the formerly uncontroversial bit, at a time when Donald Trump and the chairman of the FCC have been sending ominous messages about their view of the limits on the First Amendment’s right to free speech.
—Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 24 Sep. 2025
The libertines will be- gin the film in suits.
—Harpers Magazine, 23 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for gin
Cite this Entry
“Gin.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gin. Accessed 4 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
gin
1 of 3 noungin
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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