English dictionary, thesaurus, translations & etymology
FreeDict.com
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 notes

In plain EnglishThe spiced holiday treat; also, less commonly, ornate decorative trim on old houses.

Common pairings
gingerbread man gingerbread house gingerbread trim

Word forms

gingerbreaded past tense, gingerbreads plural, gingerbreads singular

Study it as flashcards or scroll it in Flow — saved to your collection.
Test yourself on “gingerbread” A quick quiz — meaning, synonyms & usage

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.

Origin: Old French

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.

Definitions: FreeDict original editorial