noun
gingerbread
JIHN-zhuh-brehd
Gingerbread (noun) means a firm, spiced cake or biscuit flavoured with ginger, often cut into festive shapes. Example: “The children decorated gingerbread men with icing and sweets.”
noun
1
A firm, spiced cake or biscuit flavoured with ginger, often cut into festive shapes.
"The children decorated gingerbread men with icing and sweets."
"We baked a gingerbread house for the holidays."
2
Elaborate, fussy decoration on a building, especially ornate wooden trim from the Victorian era.
"The old seaside cottage was covered in white gingerbread trim."
How to use gingerbread
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishThe spiced holiday treat; also, less commonly, ornate decorative trim on old houses.
Common pairings
gingerbread man
gingerbread house
gingerbread trim
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Word forms
- Plural
- gingerbreads
- Third person singular
- gingerbreads
- Past tense
- gingerbreaded
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
The children decorated _____ men with icing and sweets.
Etymology
From an Old French word for preserved ginger; the ending later shifted to match the English word "bread" purely by coincidence of sound.
Rhymes for gingerbread
See all rhymes for gingerbread →Frequently asked questions
What does “gingerbread” mean?
The word “gingerbread” means a firm, spiced cake or biscuit flavoured with ginger, often cut into festive shapes. In plain terms, the spiced holiday treat; also, less commonly, ornate decorative trim on old houses.
How do you pronounce “gingerbread”?
“Gingerbread” is pronounced JIHN-zhuh-brehd (/ˈd͡ʒɪn.d͡ʒɚˌbɹɛd/ in IPA).
How do you use “gingerbread” in a sentence?
Here is “gingerbread” used in a sentence: “The children decorated gingerbread men with icing and sweets.”
What part of speech is “gingerbread”?
“Gingerbread” is a noun.
Where does the word “gingerbread” come from?
The word “gingerbread” comes from Old French. From an Old French word for preserved ginger; the ending later shifted to match the English word "bread" purely by coincidence of sound.
How many meanings does “gingerbread” have?
“Gingerbread” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a firm, spiced cake or biscuit flavoured with ginger, often cut into festive shapes.
