ginkgo

or ging·ko

[ ging-koh, jing- ]

noun

, plural gink·goes.

1. a large shade tree, Ginkgo biloba, native to China, having fan-shaped leaves and fleshy seeds with edible kernels: the sole surviving species of the gymnosperm family Ginkgoaceae, which thrived in the Jurassic Period, and existing almost exclusively in cultivation.

ginkgo

/ ˈɡɪŋkəʊ; ˈɡɪŋkɡəʊ /

noun

1. a widely planted ornamental Chinese gymnosperm tree, Ginkgo biloba, with fan-shaped deciduous leaves and fleshy yellow fruit: phylum Ginkgophyta . It is used in herbal remedies and as a food supplement Also calledmaidenhair tree

ginkgo

/ gĭng′kō /

1. A deciduous, dioecious tree (Ginkgo biloba) which is the sole surviving member of the Ginkgoales, an order of gymnosperms that was extremely widespread in the Mesozoic era. It belongs to a genus which has changed very little since the end of the Jurassic period. The tree, a native of China, has fan-shaped leaves and fleshy yellowish seeds containing an edible kernel. Ginkgoes are often grown as ornamental street trees.

Word History and Origins

Origin of ginkgo¹

1765–75; < NL representation of Japanese ginkyō, equivalent to gin silver (< Chinese ) + kyō apricot (< Chin)

Word History and Origins

Origin of ginkgo¹

C18: from Japanese ginkyō, from Ancient Chinese yin silver + hang apricot

Example Sentences

Last year it started printing its own glossy vanity magazine, Grow by Ginkgo,which exists to “tell creative stories” about the endless possibilities of synthetic biology.

From MIT Technology Review

I remember another magnificent ginkgo inside the enclosure of the Hosenbo Temple at 3,700 feet.

From Nautilus

An ally of theirs, the Ginkgo or Maidenhair tree, seems to have been extremely common in certain geological periods.

From Project Gutenberg

The Bigtree group (Sequoia p. 47) was a companion of the Ginkgo in its flourishing period.

From Project Gutenberg

It is represented here with its branches and fronds, which bear some resemblance to the leaves of the ginkgo.

From Project Gutenberg

To him is credited the introduction of the Ginkgo tree and the Lombardy poplar to America.

From Project Gutenberg

In the same way we thought at first that a llama was a Chinese ginkgo.

From Project Gutenberg