gingerbread
UK: ˈdʒɪndʒəbred | US: ˈdʒɪndʒərˌbred
n. a sweet, spiced cake or cookie made with ginger and molasses
n. (archaic) something showy but insubstantial (e.g., "gingerbread decorations")
The word "gingerbread" combines "ginger" (from Old English gingifer, via Latin zingiber from Greek zingíberis, ultimately of Indo-Aryan origin) and "bread" (Old English brēad). Originally, it referred to preserved ginger or ginger-flavored cakes in medieval Europe. By the 15th century, it evolved to denote spiced honey cakes shaped into decorative figures, often gilded—hence the later figurative sense of "ornamental but frivolous." The morphemes retain their original spellings, reflecting the word’s literal composition.
She baked gingerbread cookies for the Christmas party.
The fairytale house was adorned with gingerbread trim.
Medieval markets sold gingerbread shaped like knights and animals.
Critics dismissed the proposal as political gingerbread.
The aroma of fresh gingerbread filled the kitchen.