gingerbread

noun

gin·​ger·​bread ˈjin-jər-ˌbred 

1

: a cake whose ingredients include molasses and ginger

2

[from the fancy shapes and gilding formerly often applied to gingerbread] : lavish or superfluous ornament especially in architecture

gingerbread adjective

gingerbreaded

ˈjin-jər-ˌbre-dəd 

adjective

gingerbready

ˈjin-jər-ˌbre-dē 

adjective

Examples of gingerbread in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The stores also will feature life-sized gingerbread villages, where visitors can mail letters to Santa. —Joan Verdon, Forbes, 9 Oct. 2024

What activities will be at Spirit Christmas stores? Guests can wander through a life-sized gingerbread village and mail a letter to Santa at the North Pole. —Cheryl V. Jackson, The Courier-Journal, 8 Oct. 2024

Here's where What activities will be at Spirit Christmas stores? Guests can wander through a life-sized gingerbread village and mail a letter to Santa at the North Pole. —Cheryl V. Jackson, The Indianapolis Star, 8 Oct. 2024

Add seasonal scents with gingerbread, cinnamon or pumpkin-spice candles. —Marni Jameson, The Mercury News, 26 Sep. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing gingerbread

• gingerbread man

Kids Definition

gingerbread

noun

gin·​ger·​bread ˈjin-jər-ˌbred 

1

: a cake made with molasses and flavored with ginger

2

: showy ornamentation especially in architecture

gingerbread adjective