Why does gingerly mean cautious?

Before it came to mean “extremely cautiously” in 1600, gingerly meant “elegantly, daintily.” In fact, it stems from the Latin word gentius, meaning “(well)-born.” But today it has less to do with elegance and more to do with a delicate touch, usually used to avoid hurting something or someone.

Where does the phrase walking gingerly come from?

While it might have come from the name of the spice, there’s nothing concrete to back up that idea. Another conjecture is that it’s related to an Old French word, gensor, that meant “delicate.” That’s because in 16th century English an earlier sense of “gingerly” often referred to dancing or walking with dainty steps.

How do you use gingerly in a sentence?

Gingerly sentence example

1. Lisa gingerly settled her body on the couch.
2. Rob walked gingerly across the rocks, wincing.
3. She gingerly untangled herself from some thorny vines and tried to stand.
4. Megan gingerly accepted the tool, gripping the smooth wooden handle with both hands.

What is feeling Ginger?

adverb [ADVERB with verb] If you do something gingerly, you do it in a careful manner, usually because you expect it to be dangerous, unpleasant, or painful.

What does gingerly mean in the dictionary?

with great care or caution; warily. adjective. cautious, careful, or wary.

What does it mean to treat something gingerly?

If you do something gingerly, you do it in a careful manner, usually because you expect it to be dangerous, unpleasant, or painful. [written] She was touching the dressing gingerly with both hands. Synonyms: cautiously, carefully, reluctantly, suspiciously More Synonyms of gingerly.

What is a synonym for ginger?

galangal, Languas Speciosa, Zingiber Officinale, Alpinia Speciosa, Alpinia Officinarum, common ginger, stem ginger, red ginger, shell ginger, canton ginger, lesser galangal, Alpinia Purpurata, Alpinia Galanga, Alpinia Zerumbet, shellflower, shall-flower, Alpinia Officinalis.

Which word means the opposite of gingerly heavily easily loudly quietly?

Opposite of using, exercising or showing caution. careless. heedless. incautious. unguarded.

What does stepped gingerly mean?

Cautious; careful
Cautious; careful. With a gingerly step. adjective.

What is a synonym for Ginger?

What is a ginger girl?

A redhead is a person with red hair. In England, a redhead is “ginger” haired. Redheads come in many different varieties, from bright red dyed hair to coppery auburn and strawberry blond. Many natural redheads have pale skin that burns easily in the sun and light-colored eyes.

What is the etymology of the word gingerly?

The Online Etymology Dictionary’s entry is woefully unsatisfying: gingerly (adv)1510s, “elegantly, daintily,” perhaps from Old French gensor, comp. of gent “dainty, delicate,” from Latin gentius “(well)-born” (see gentle). Meaning “extremely cautiously” is from c.1600. etymologyorigin-unknown Share Improve this question Follow

What is the meaning of gingerly cautious?

gingerly – with extreme care or delicacy; “they proceeded with gingerly footwork over the jagged stones”; “the issue was handled only in a gingerly way”- W.S.White cautious – showing careful forethought; “reserved and cautious; never making swift decisions”; “a cautious driver”

What does it mean to tread gingerly?

The word gingerlyis: (from www.wordhistories.com) an adverb meaning in a careful or cautious manner, and an adjective meaning showing great care or caution. Aller à pas menu: To go nicely, tread gingerly, mince it like a maid. (Randle Cotgrave – A Dictionary of the French and English tongues – 1611)