ginkgo

American  

[ging-koh, jing-] / ˈgɪŋ koʊ, ˈdʒɪŋ- /

Or gingko

noun

plural

ginkgoes

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.

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ginkgo British  

/ ˈɡɪŋkɡəʊ, ˈɡɪŋkəʊ /

noun

1. Also called: maidenhair tree.  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

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ginkgo Scientific  

/ 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.

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Etymology

Origin of ginkgo

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

Example Sentences

One striking piece to note is a Claude Lalanne ginkgo bench, which is meant to reflect Monsieur Dior’s early days as a gallerist.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 10, 2025

By pairing caffeine with other buzzy active ingredients like ginseng, carnitine, creatine and ginkgo biloba, they position these drinks as enhancers of mental alertness and concentration, too.

From Salon • Jan. 27, 2024

On a crisp fall day at Birmingham-Southern College, the students were making their way to class, stealing a few cold minutes under the golden ginkgo trees.

From New York Times • Dec. 27, 2023

"A ginkgo tree supports virtually none of our native insects or birds," he said.

From Science Daily • Dec. 1, 2023

When he points, I train my camera on the knotty dead trunks of Japanese maples and the cherry and ginkgo trees—gnarled limbs reaching toward blue sky.

From "Love, Hate & Other Filters" by Samira Ahmed