Definify.com

Webster 1913 Edition

Gin

rep.

[AS.

á

Noun.

See

Again

Against; near by; towards;

as,

gin

night

[Scot.]

A. Ross (1778).

Gin

onj.

[See

Gin

prep

If.

[Scotch]

Jamieson.

Gin

(gĭn)

Verb.

[

imp. & p. p.

Gan

(găn)

Gon

(gŏn), or

Gun

(gŭn);

p. pr. & vb. n.

Ginning

[OE.

ginnen

, AS.

ginnan

(in comp.), prob. orig., to open, cut open, cf. OHG. in

ginnan

to begin, open, cut open, and prob. akin to AS.

gīnan

to yawn, and E.

yawn

. √31. See

Yawn

Verb.

, and cf.

Begin

To begin; – often followed by an infinitive without to;

as,

gan

tell

. See

Gan

[Obs. or Archaic]

“He gan to pray.”

Chaucer.

Gin

(jĭn)

Noun.

[Contr. from

Geneva

. See 2d

Geneva

A strong alcoholic liquor, distilled from rye and barley, and flavored with juniper berries; – also called

Hollands

and

Holland gin

, because originally, and still very extensively, manufactured in Holland. Common gin is usually flavored with turpentine.

Gin

Noun.

[A contraction of

engine

Contrivance; artifice; a trap; a snare.

Chaucer. Spenser.

(a)

A machine for raising or moving heavy weights, consisting of a tripod formed of poles united at the top, with a windlass, pulleys, ropes, etc.

(b)

(Mining)

A hoisting drum, usually vertical; a whim.

A machine for separating the seeds from cotton; a cotton gin.

☞ The name is also given to an instrument of torture worked with screws, and to a pump moved by rotary sails.

Gin block

a simple form of tackle block, having one wheel, over which a rope runs; – called also

whip gin

rubbish pulley

, and

monkey wheel

–

Gin power

a form of horse power for driving a cotton gin.

–

Gin race

, or

Gin ring

the path of the horse when putting a gin in motion.

Halliwell.

–

Gin saw

a saw used in a cotton gin for drawing the fibers through the grid, leaving the seed in the hopper.

–

Gin wheel

(a)

In a cotton gin, a wheel for drawing the fiber through the grid; a brush wheel to clean away the lint.

(b)

(Mining)

the drum of a whim.

Gin

Verb.

[

imp. & p. p.

Ginned

;

p. pr. & vb. n.

Ginning

To catch in a trap.

[Obs.]

Beau. & Fl.

To clear of seeds by a machine;

as, to

gin

cotton

Webster 1828 Edition

Gin

GIN

Noun.

A contraction of Geneva, a distilled spirit. [See Geneva.]

GIN

Noun.

[A contraction of engine.] A machine or instrument by which the mechanical powers are employed in aid of human strength. The word is applied to various engines, as a machine for driving piles, another for raising weights, &c., and a machine for separating the seeds from cotton, invented by E.Whitney, is called a cotton-gin. It is also the name given to an engine of torture, and to a pump moved by rotary sails.

A trap; a snare.

GIN

Verb.

To clear cotton of its seeds by a machine which separates them with expedition.

To catch in a trap.

GIN

Verb.

To begin.

Definition 2024

Gin

See also: gin, GIN, ĝin, gīn, and -gin

German

Noun

Gin m

gin (liquor made from juniper berries)

gin

See also: Gin, GIN, ĝin, gīn, and -gin

English

Noun

gin ‎(countable and uncountable, plural gins)

A colourless non-aged alcoholic liquor made by distilling fermented grains such as barley, corn, oats or rye with juniper berries; the base for many cocktails.
(uncountable) Gin rummy.
(poker) Drawing the best card or combination of cards.
Johnny Chan held jack-nine, and hit gin when a queen-ten-eight board was dealt out.‎

Derived terms

bathtub gin
sloe gin
gin pennant

Related terms

genever

Translations

alcoholic beverage

Arabic: جِين m ‎(jīn)
Armenian: ջին (hy) ‎(ǰin)
Belarusian: джын m ‎(džyn)
Bulgarian: джин (bg) m ‎(džin)
Burmese: ဂျင် (my) ‎(gyang)
Catalan: ginebra (ca) f, gin (ca) m
Chinese:
Mandarin: 金酒 (zh) ‎(jīn jiǔ)
Esperanto: ĝino
Estonian: džinn
Finnish: gini (fi)
French: gin (fr) m
Georgian: ჯინი (ka) ‎(ǯini)
German: Gin (de) m
Greek: τζιν (el) n ‎(tzin)
Hawaiian: kini
Hebrew: ג'ין
Hindi: जिन (hi) ‎(jin)
Irish: biotáille Ghinéive f, jin m
Japanese: ジン (ja) ‎(jin)

Korean: 진 (ko) ‎(jin)
Latvian: džins (lv)
Macedonian: џин m ‎(džin)
Malay: gin
Maori: tīni
Norman: dginne m (Jersey), génèvre m (Jersey)
Portuguese: gim (pt) m
Russian: джин (ru) m ‎(džin)
Serbo-Croatian:

Cyrillic: џин m

Roman: džin (sh) m
Slovak: džin m
Spanish: ginebra (es) f
Swahili: jini (sw)
Swedish: gin (sv) c, n
Tagalog: hinebra
Thai: จิน ‎(jin)
Turkish: cin (tr)
Ukrainian: джин m ‎(džyn)
Vietnamese: rượu gin, gin (vi)

References

“gin” in Douglas Harper, Online Etymology Dictionary (2001).
gin in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913

Etymology 2

Aphetism of Old French engin ‎(“engine”).

Pronunciation

enPR: jĭn, IPA^(key): /dʒɪn/
Rhymes: -ɪn
Homophone: djinn

Noun

gin ‎(plural gins)

(obsolete) A trick; a device or instrument.
(obsolete) Contrivance; artifice; a trap; a snare.

(Can we find and add a quotation of Chaucer to this entry?)

(Can we find and add a quotation of Spenser to this entry?)
A snare or trap for game.
A machine for raising or moving heavy objects, consisting of a tripod formed of poles united at the top, with a windlass, pulleys, ropes, etc.
(mining) A hoisting drum, usually vertical; a whim.
A pile driver.
A windpump.
A cotton gin.
An instrument of torture worked with screws.

Translations

A snare or trap for game

Bulgarian: капан (bg) m ‎(kapan), клопка (bg) f ‎(klopka)

A machine for raising or moving heavy objects

Bulgarian: скрипец m ‎(skripec), лебедка (bg) f ‎(lebedka)

Related terms

(cotton gin): ginner, ginnery

Verb

gin ‎(third-person singular simple present gins, present participle ginning, simple past and past participle ginned)

(transitive) To remove the seeds from cotton with a cotton gin.
(transitive) To trap something in a gin.

Derived terms

gin up

Translations

to remove the seeds from cotton

Irish: scillig

Etymology 3

From Middle English ginnen, from Old English ginnan ‎(“to open; to cut open”).

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /ɡɪn/

Verb

gin ‎(third-person singular simple present gins, present participle ginning, simple past gan, past participle gun)

(archaic) To begin.

Etymology 4

Borrowing from Dharug dyin, but having acquired a derogatory tone.^[1]

Noun

gin ‎(plural gins)

(Australia, now considered offensive) An Aboriginal woman.
- 1869, Thomas Livingstone Mitchell, Three Expeditions into the Interior of Eastern Australia, Volume 1, page 273,
  His next shot was discharged amongst the mob, and most unfortunately wounded the gin already mentioned ; who, with a child fastened to her back, slid down the bank, and lay, apparently dying, with her legs in the water.
- 1894, Ivan Dexter, Talmud: A Strange Narrative of Central Australia, published in serial form in Port Adelaide News and Lefevre's Peninsula Advertiser (SA), Chapter XXI,
  From my position I could see the gins pointing back, and as the men turned they looked for a moment and then made a wild rush for the entrance.
- 1938, Xavier Herbert, Capricornia, D. Appleton-Century, 1943, Chapter XXI, p. 353,
  How they must have laughed about the strutting of her whose mother was a wanton and aunt a gin!
- 1988, Tom Cole, **** West and Crooked, Angus & Robertson, 1995, p.179,
  Dad said Shoesmith and Thompson had made one error that cost them their lives by letting the gins into the camp, and the blacks speared them all.
- 2008, Bill Marsh, Jack Goldsmith, Goldie: Adventures in a Vanishing Australia, unnumbered page,
  But there was this gin there, see, what they called a kitchen girl.

Related terms

blackgin

Synonyms

lubra

Derived terms

Terms derived from gin

gin burglar
gin burglary
gin hunter

gin jockey
gin shepherd

gin’s piss
gin stealer

References

↑ R. M. W. Dixon, Australian Aboriginal Words, Oxford University Press, 1990, ISBN 0-19-553099-3, page 167.

Anagrams

ing, nig

French

Etymology

Borrowing from English gin.

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /dʒin/
Homophones: djinn, jean

Noun

gin m ‎(plural gins)

Irish

Etymology

From Old Irish gainithir ‎(“is born”), from Proto-Celtic *gan-yo- (compare Welsh geni ‎(“be born, bear”)) from Proto-Indo-European *ǵenh₁- (compare English kin, Latin gignō ‎(“beget, bear”), Greek γίγνομαι ‎(gígnomai, “become”), Sanskrit जनति ‎(janati, “beget”)).

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /ˈɟɪnʲ/

Noun

gin f ‎(genitive singular gine, nominative plural ginte)

Declension

Declension of gin

Second declension

Bare forms

Case	Singular	Plural
Nominative	gin	ginte
Vocative	a ghin	a ghinte
Genitive	gine	ginte
Dative	gin	ginte

Forms with the definite article

Case	Singular	Plural
Nominative	an ghin	na ginte
Genitive	na gine	na nginte
Dative	leis an ngin don ghin	leis na ginte

Derived terms

aonghin
athghin f ‎(“counterpart”)

Verb

gin ‎(present analytic gineann, future analytic ginfidh, verbal noun giniúint, past participle ginte)

1. give birth to (used only in the autonomous form)
2. germinate, sprout; spring forth; originate
1. beget, procreate
2. generate, produce

Conjugation

First Conjugation (A)

		singular			plural			relative	autonomous
		first	second	third	first	second	third	relative	autonomous
indicative	present	ginim	gineann tú; ginir^†	gineann sé, sí	ginimid	gineann sibh	gineann siad; ginid^†	a ghineann; a ghineas / a ngineann; a ngineas	gintear
	past	ghin mé; ghineas	ghin tú; ghinis	ghin sé, sí	ghineamar; ghin muid	ghin sibh; ghineabhair	ghin siad; ghineadar	a ghin / ar ghin*	gineadh
	past habitual	ghininn	ghinteá	ghineadh sé, sí	ghinimis; ghineadh muid	ghineadh sibh	ghinidís; ghineadh siad	a ghineadh / ar ghineadh*	ghintí
	future	ginfidh mé; ginfead	ginfidh tú; ginfir^†	ginfidh sé, sí	ginfimid; ginfidh muid	ginfidh sibh	ginfidh siad; ginfid^†	a ghinfidh; a ghinfeas / a nginfidh; a nginfeas	ginfear
conditional		ghinfinn	ghinfeá	ghinfeadh sé, sí	ghinfimis; ghinfeadh muid	ghinfeadh sibh	ghinfidís; ghinfeadh siad	a ghinfeadh / ar ghinfeadh*	ghinfí
subjunctive	present	go ngine mé; go nginead^†	go ngine tú; go nginir^†	go ngine sé, sí	go nginimid; go ngine muid	go ngine sibh	go ngine siad; go nginid^†	—	go ngintear
subjunctive	past	dá ngininn	dá nginteá	dá ngineadh sé, sí	dá nginimis; dá ngineadh muid	dá ngineadh sibh	dá nginidís; dá ngineadh siad	—	dá ngintí
imperative		ginim	gin	gineadh sé, sí	ginimis	ginigí; ginidh^†	ginidís	—	gintear
verbal noun		giniúint
past participle		ginte

* Indirect relative
† Dialect form

Derived terms

athghin ‎(“regenerate”, verb)

Mutation

Irish mutation
Radical	Lenition	Eclipsis
gin	ghin	ngin
Note: Some of these forms may be hypothetical. Not every possible mutated form of every word actually occurs.

References

"gin" in Foclóir Gaeilge-Béarla, An Gúm, 1977, by Niall Ó Dónaill.
“gainithir” in Dictionary of the Irish Language, Royal Irish Academy, 1913–76.

Japanese

Romanization

gin

rōmaji reading of ぎん

Lojban

Rafsi

gin

rafsi of jgina.

Scots

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /ɡɪn/

Etymology 1

Apparently reduced from gien ‎(“given”), under the influence of gif.

Conjunction

gin

if (conditional; subjunctive)

Gin A war ye, A wad gang.‎ ― If I were you, I would go.

(Can we find and add a quotation of Jamieson to this entry?)

Etymology 2

From Old English [Term?].

Preposition

gin

Against; nearby; towards.

gin night‎ ― (please add an English translation of this usage example)

(Can we find and add a quotation of A. Ross (1778) to this entry?)

Scottish Gaelic

Etymology

From Old Irish gainithir ‎(“is born”), from Proto-Celtic *gan-yo- (compare Welsh geni ‎(“be born, bear”)) from Proto-Indo-European *ǵenh₁- (compare English kin, Latin gignō ‎(“beget, bear”), Ancient Greek γίγνομαι ‎(gígnomai, “become”), Sanskrit जनति ‎(janati, “beget”)).

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /gʲin/

Verb

gin ‎(past ghin, future ginidh, verbal noun gintinn, past participle ginte)

Derived terms

ath-ghin

References

Faclair Gàidhlig Dwelly Air Loidhne, Dwelly, Edward (1911), Faclair Gàidhlig gu Beurla le Dealbhan/The Illustrated [Scottish] Gaelic-English Dictionary (10th ed.), Edinburgh: Birlinn Limited, ISBN 0 901771 92 9
“gainithir” in Dictionary of the Irish Language, Royal Irish Academy, 1913–76.

Swedish

Etymology

Borrowing from English gin.

Pronunciation

IPA^(key): /jɪn/ or IPA^(key): /dʒɪn/

Noun

gin n

gin (liquor)

Anagrams

Wiradhuri

Noun

gin

Alternative spelling of geen