gingerbread

[ jin-jer-bred ]

noun

1. a type of cake flavored with ginger and molasses.
2. a rolled cookie similarly flavored, often cut in fanciful shapes, and sometimes frosted.
3. elaborate, gaudy, or superfluous architectural ornamentation:

   a series of gables embellished with gingerbread.

adjective

1. heavily, gaudily, and superfluously ornamented:

   a gingerbread style of architecture.

gingerbread

/ ˈdʒɪndʒəˌbrɛd /

noun

1. a moist brown cake, flavoured with ginger and treacle or syrup
2. 1. a rolled biscuit, similarly flavoured, cut into various shapes and sometimes covered with icing
   2. ( as modifier )

      gingerbread man

3. 1. an elaborate but unsubstantial ornamentation
   2. ( as modifier )

      gingerbread style of architecture

Other Words From

• ginger·bready adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of gingerbread¹

1250–1300; Middle English gingebreed (influenced by breed bread), variant of gingebrad, -brat ginger paste < Old French gingembras, -brat preserved ginger < Medieval Latin *gingi ( m ) brātum a medicinal preparation (neuter past participle), derivative of Latin gingiber ginger

Example Sentences

The melancholy ad sees Gary continuing a tradition they shared, building a gingerbread house as his way to remember her.

From BBC

Her describing it a combination of pumpkin pie and gingerbread also made it sound stupendous.

From Salon

She was named an assistant pastry chef in 2002 and became the executive pastry chef in November 2014 — just in time to sweat over the details of that year’s gingerbread White House for the holidays.

From Seattle Times

“She’d spend hours getting the details right, drawing as she read. She loved the ships, too—especially ones with ornate carvings. The gingerbread—you know that’s what this island is named for?”

From Literature

While he was off writing or working elsewhere, Marina’s parents arranged her marriage to a wealthy gingerbread maker.

From New York Times

Related Words

• accessory
• adornment
• art
• bauble
• embroidery
• flower
• jewel
• knickknack
• treasure
• trinket