gin

The word “gin” means a clear spirit flavoured mainly with juniper berries, used both on its own and in cocktails. In plain terms, most commonly the juniper-flavoured spirit; also an old word for a mechanical device (like the cotton gin) or a small animal trap.

“Gin” is pronounced jihn (/d͡ʒɪn/ in IPA).

Here is “gin” used in a sentence: “She ordered a gin and tonic with a slice of lime.”

“Gin” is a noun.

The word “gin” comes from Dutch. The drink's name is a shortened form of "geneva", itself from the Dutch word for juniper — nothing to do with the city of Geneva. The machine/trap sense comes from an older word for a clever device or contraption.

“Gin” is an uncommon word in modern English.

“Gin” has 3 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a clear spirit flavoured mainly with juniper berries, used both on its own and in cocktails.

Gin is a clear spirit flavoured mainly with juniper berries, giving it a distinctive aromatic taste, while vodka is typically distilled to be as neutral and flavourless as possible. This flavour difference is the main distinction between the two clear spirits.

A cotton gin is a machine that separates cotton fibre from its seeds, sharing its name with the alcoholic spirit but referring to an entirely different, unrelated meaning of "gin."

Besides the juniper-flavoured spirit, "gin" can also refer to a machine that separates cotton fibre from seeds, or to a trap or snare used especially to catch small game.