gingersnap

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British, Multicultural London English, Southern, Standard/ˈd͡ʒɪnd͡ʒəsnap/US/ˈd͡ʒɪnd͡ʒɚɹsnæp/

noun

A type of biscuit or cookie made from dough seasoned with ginger.

Similar
gingerbread nutgingernutginger snapsnapginger nut
OriginEnglish snap ← Low German snappen ← Dutch snappen →
RareScrabble 14
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Meanings

noungingersnap (plural gingersnaps)

plural gingersnaps · alternative ginger snap · alternative ginger-snap

  1. A type of biscuit or cookie made from dough seasoned with ginger.

    Synonyms: gingerbread nut, gingernut

  2. USobsoleteslangA hot-tempered person, particularly one who is red-haired.

    Paul winked gravely at vacancy. “Where’s the kid now?” […] “A ginger snap!” thought Paul, derisively.

    1897, “Paul, the Wharf Waif”, in Wharf Paul. The Aldine "tip-top Tales", number 207, Chapter 4, pages 35–36

Synonyms & antonyms

nounA type of biscuit or cookie made from dough seasoned with ginger.

Similar
gingerbread nutgingernut

More synonyms by meaning

nouna crisp round cookie flavored with ginger

Similar
ginger snapsnapginger nut
Broader
cookiecookybiscuit
Also see
gingerbread nutgingernutsnap

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Proto-Dravidian*wēr
  2. Sauraseni Prakrit𑀲𑀺𑀁𑀕𑀺𑀯𑁂𑀭 (siṃgivera)
  3. Ancient Greekζιγγίβερις (zingíberis)
  4. Latinzingiberi
  5. Late Latingingiber
  6. Proto-West Germanic*gingiberō
  7. Old Englishgingifer
  8. Old Frenchgingembreinflu.
  9. Middle Englishgingivere
  10. Middle Englishgingere
  11. Englishginger
  12. Middle Dutchsnappen
  13. Dutchsnappen
  14. Low Germansnappen
  15. Englishsnap
  16. Englishgingersnap

From ginger + snap.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Danish pebernød, peberkage
  • pebernødtype of biscuit seasoned with ginger
  • peberkagetype of biscuit seasoned with ginger
Estonian piparpähkel, kivipräänik
  • piparpähkeltype of biscuit seasoned with ginger
  • kiviprääniktype of biscuit seasoned with ginger
  • piparkooktype of biscuit seasoned with ginger
Finnish pipari, piparkakku
  • piparitype of biscuit seasoned with ginger
  • piparkakkutype of biscuit seasoned with ginger
Icelandic piparkaka
  • piparkakatype of biscuit seasoned with ginger
Italian biscotto allo zenzero
  • biscotto allo zenzerotype of biscuit seasoned with ginger
Japanese ジンジャークッキー, ジンジャービスケット
  • ジンジャークッキー (jinjā kukkī)type of biscuit seasoned with ginger
  • ジンジャービスケット (jinjā bisuketto)type of biscuit seasoned with ginger
  • ジンジャースナップ (jinjā sunappu)type of biscuit seasoned with ginger
Latvian piparkūka
  • piparkūkatype of biscuit seasoned with ginger
Norwegian Bokmål pepperkake
  • pepperkaketype of biscuit seasoned with ginger
Russian пипарку́кас
  • пипарку́кас (piparkúkas)type of biscuit seasoned with ginger
Swedish pepparkaka
  • pepparkakatype of biscuit seasoned with ginger
Cite this entry
APA

gingersnap. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/gingersnap

MLA

“gingersnap.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/gingersnap. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “gingersnap,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/gingersnap.

Source: gingersnap on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.