Word Study
ginseng
WORDNET DICTIONARY
Noun ginseng has 2 senses
- ginseng(n = noun.plant) Array - aromatic root of ginseng plants; Array is a part of ginseng, nin-sin, panax ginseng, panax pseudoginseng, panax schinseng, american ginseng, panax quinquefolius, sang
- ginseng(n = noun.plant) nin-sin, panax ginseng, panax pseudoginseng, panax schinseng - Chinese herb with palmately compound leaves and small greenish flowers and forked aromatic roots believed to have medicinal powers; Array is a member of genus panax, panax
is a kind of root
has parts: ginseng
is a kind of herb, herbaceous plant
CIDE DICTIONARY
ginseng, n. [Chinese.].
A plant of the genus Aralia , the root of which is highly valued as a medicine among the Chinese. The Chinese plant (Aralia Schinseng ) has become so rare that the American (A. quinquefolia ) has largely taken its place, and its root is now an article of export from America to China. The root, when dry, is of a yellowish white color, with a sweetness in the taste somewhat resembling that of licorice, combined with a slight aromatic bitterness. [1913 Webster]
OXFORD DICTIONARY
ginseng, n.
1 any of several medicinal plants of the genus Panax, found in E. Asia and N. America.
2 the root of this.
1 any of several medicinal plants of the genus Panax, found in E. Asia and N. America.
2 the root of this.
Etymology
Chin. renshen perh. = man-image, with allusion to its forked root
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