gin

¹

[jin]

noun

1. an alcoholic liquor obtained by distilling grain mash with juniper berries.

2. an alcoholic liquor similar to this, made by redistilling spirits with flavoring agents, especially juniper berries, orange peel, angelica root, etc.

gin

²

[jin]

noun

1. cotton gin.

   Did Whitney's invention of the gin actually enable an expansion in the slave trade?

2. a trap or snare for game.

   They learned how to devise a simple gin for catching rabbits and quail and such.

3. any of various machines employing simple tackle or windlass mechanisms for hoisting.

   She finished developing her father's design of a gin that would facilitate safer movement of large parts in the manufacturing plant.

4. a stationary prime mover having a drive shaft rotated by horizontal beams pulled by horses walking in a circle.

   The gins were activated by teams of horses to power the pulley system that hauled the coal out of the mines.

verb (used with object)

ginned, ginning 

1. to clear (cotton) of seeds with a gin.

   The weather's fine today for ginning cotton.

2. to snare (game).

   Hey! Looks like you ginned a woodcock.

gin

³

[gin]

verb (used with or without object)

gan, gun, ginning. 

1. Archaic.,  to begin.

   At twilight, gin we our leave.

gin

⁴

[jin]

noun

1. Also called gin rummy. a variety of rummy for two players, in which a player with 10 or fewer points in unmatched cards can end the game by laying down the hand.

   They get together ever Tuesday for a friendly game of gin.

2. the winning of such a game by laying down a full set of matched cards, earning the winner a bonus of 20 or 25 points.

   Sorry, but that's gin for me again.

verb (used without object)

ginned, ginning 

1. to win a game in gin by laying down a hand in which all 10 cards are included in sets.

   How many times has she ginned tonight?

gin

⁵

[gin]

conjunction

Chiefly Scot. and Southern Appalachian.

1. if; whether.

   It's a beast of a river to cross, gin ye dare.

gin

⁶

Or jin

[jin]

noun

Australian Informal: Offensive.

1. an Aboriginal woman.

2. an Aboriginal wife.

gin

¹

/ dʒɪn /

noun

1. a primitive engine in which a vertical shaft is turned by horses driving a horizontal beam or yoke in a circle

2. Also called: cotton gin. a machine of this type used for separating seeds from raw cotton

3. a trap for catching small mammals, consisting of a noose of thin strong wire

4. a hand-operated hoist that consists of a drum winder turned by a crank

verb

1. to free (cotton) of seeds with a gin

2. to trap or snare (game) with a gin

gin

²

/ dʒɪn /

noun

1. an alcoholic drink obtained by distillation and rectification of the grain of malted barley, rye, or maize, flavoured with juniper berries

2. any of various grain spirits flavoured with other fruit or aromatic essences

   sloe gin

3. an alcoholic drink made from any rectified spirit

gin

³

/ ɡɪn /

verb

1. an archaic word for begin

gin

⁴

/ ɡɪn /

conjunction

1. if

gin

⁵

/ dʒɪn /

noun

1. offensive,  an Aboriginal woman

Other Word Forms

• ginner noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of gin¹

First recorded in 1705–15; shortened from geneva, alteration of Dutch genever “gin,” literally “juniper” (because the liquor was flavored with juniper berries), from Old French genevre “juniper plant,” from assumed Vulgar Latin jeniperus, from Latin juniperus

Origin of gin²

First recorded in 1150–1200; Middle English gyn, shortened variant of Old French engin “innate quality, clever invention”; engine

Origin of gin³

First recorded in 1150–1200; Middle English ginnen, Old English ginnan, shortened variant of onginnan, beginnen “to begin”; begin

Origin of gin⁴

First recorded in 1955–60; perhaps special use of gin ¹, a shortening of the variant gin rummy, recorded in 1940–45

Origin of gin⁵

First recorded in 1665–75; variously explained as sense development of gien “given” ( gie, -en ³ ); as contraction of gif ( if, an ²; iffen ); or as a shortening of again

Origin of gin⁶

First recorded in 1790–1800; from Dharuk di-yin, diyin “woman, old woman”

Word History and Origins

Origin of gin¹

C13 gyn, shortened from _engine

Origin of gin²

C18: shortened from Dutch genever juniper, via Old French from Latin jūniperus _juniper

Origin of gin³

perhaps related to gif, an earlier form of if

Origin of gin⁴

C19: from a native Australian language

Example Sentences

One critic said that she was one of Britain's two great contributions to jazz - the other being gin.

From BBC

India will lower tariffs on British goods, including whisky, gin and other drinks as well as cars.

From BBC

That is, until the gin gimlets started to flow at sundown.

From Salon

They didn’t shy away from the scent’s complexity, leaning into the more unusual notes like gin, elderflower and leather.

From Los Angeles Times

They’re still foreign to me, so I pull up Dorn’s email to remind myself which has “creamy woods” or “subtle gin.”

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

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