What does "ginkgo" mean?
Ginkgo biloba, a tree native to China with small, fan-shaped leaves and edible seeds.
Ginkgo
/ˈɡɪŋ.kəʊ/ noun
noun ·Rare ·Advanced level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: Ginkgo biloba, a tree native to China with small, fan-shaped leaves and edible seeds.
- Grammar: ginkgo is listed as noun.
- Nearest alternatives: maidenhair tree, ginkgo biloba, gingko, ginkgo nut.
- Usage evidence: Ginkgo trees are the most commonly found trees lining Seoul's streets.
How to use "ginkgo"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "ginkgo" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "ginkgo" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "ginkgo" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "ginkgo" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "ginkgo" is acting as noun in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "maidenhair tree" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "ginkgo", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 Ginkgo biloba, a tree native to China with small, fan-shaped leaves and edible seeds.
"Like cycads — their gymnosperm relatives — and ferns, the ginkgo produces motile sperm. […] In fact, the tree was originally thought to be extinct in the wild until two populations were located in China. Such native ginkgos remain rare, with a preference for rich, streamside habitats."
- 2 deciduous dioecious Chinese tree having fan-shaped leaves and fleshy yellow seeds; exists almost exclusively in cultivation especially as an ornamental street tree wordnet
- 3 The seed of a ginkgo tree.
"I swear the gingko's working in reverse"
Synonyms
All synonymsExample
"Ginkgo trees are the most commonly found trees lining Seoul's streets."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "ginkgo"?
Common synonyms include: maidenhair tree, ginkgo biloba, gingko, ginkgo nut, ginkgo seed.
How do you use "ginkgo" in a sentence?
Ginkgo trees are the most commonly found trees lining Seoul's streets.
How do you pronounce "ginkgo"?
Pronounced /ˈɡɪŋ.kəʊ/.
Etymology
From Japanese 銀杏 (ginkyō), from Chinese 銀杏／银杏 (yínxìng, “silver apricot”). Ginkgo is the name that is printed in Amoenitatum exoticarum politico-physico-medicarum Fasciculi V … (1712) authored by Engelbert Kaempfer, the first Westerner to see the species. In his way of transcription ginkyo would have been Ginkjo or Ginkio but was printed as Ginkgo. This was read by Carl Linnaeus, and the misspelling stuck.