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gin 2 (jĭn)
Share:
n.
1. Any of several machines or devices, especially:
a. A machine for hoisting or moving heavy objects.
b. A pile driver.
c. A snare or trap for game.
d. A pump operated by a windmill.
2. A cotton gin.
tr.v. ginned, gin·ning, gins
1. To remove the seeds from (cotton) with a cotton gin.
2. To trap in a gin.
Phrasal Verb:
gin up
1. To create or produce; work up: "If we ever ginned up the courage to speak honestly about race, we might also open up unexpected avenues of racial healing" (Michael Eric Dyson).
2. To create or produce under false pretenses: "U.S. officials have asked their foreign counterparts to gin up a charge so that the United States can credibly claim it is rendering a suspect to face legal charges when it is really trying to gather information" (Daniel Byman).
3. To increase or make more active: gin up sales; gin up the economy.
[Middle English, from Old French, short for engin, skill; see ENGINE.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.
 

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

    Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

    Indo-European Roots

    Semitic Roots

    The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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