Gin

Podcast 1 · Introduction

Gin

A documentary-style narration: origin, meaning, and feel.

Part of speech

noun

Pronunciation

jin  /dʒɪn/

Definition

A clear alcoholic spirit made by distilling grain and flavouring it with juniper berries and other botanicals; a cotton gin (a machine for separating cotton fibres); a trap or snare.

Plain meaning

Gin is the juniper-flavoured spirit — the base of a gin and tonic. It also names a cotton-separating machine (cotton gin) and an old word for a mechanical trap.

Register

Neutral in drinks contexts. The Gin Craze association gives it a historical association with poverty and social disorder. In contemporary craft spirits culture, gin has become associated with sophistication and complexity.