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
Joseph V Micallef, Forbes.com, 16 Apr. 2025
The cocktail menu will feature drinks made with the duo's gin line, Still G.I.N. By Dre and Snoop.
—Marcus K. Dowling, USA Today, 1 Apr. 2025
Claudia Alarcón, Forbes.com, 10 Apr. 2025
In Wisconsin’s recent Supreme Court race, Democrats looked to harness anger around Musk to gin up their base.
—Caroline Vakil, The Hill, 8 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for gin
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Noun
Craft distillers increasingly dominate international gin competitions, each pushing gin's aroma and flavor boundaries in new and unexpected directions.
—Joseph V Micallef, Forbes.com, 16 Apr. 2025
The cocktail menu will feature drinks made with the duo's gin line, Still G.I.N. By Dre and Snoop.
—Marcus K. Dowling, USA Today, 1 Apr. 2025
Verb
Led by master distiller Sarah Prowse, the brand is dedicated exclusively to gin, focusing on modern, expressive, and flavor-forward creations using Australian botanicals and spices from around the world.
—Claudia Alarcón, Forbes.com, 10 Apr. 2025
In Wisconsin’s recent Supreme Court race, Democrats looked to harness anger around Musk to gin up their base.
—Caroline Vakil, The Hill, 8 Apr. 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 22 Apr. 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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