gin·seng (j?n?s?ng?)n.1. Any of several plants of the genus Panax, especially P. ginseng of East Asia or P. quinquefolius of North America, having small greenish flowers grouped in umbels, palmately compound leaves, and forked roots used in herbal medicine.2. The roots or preparations of the roots of any of these plants.[Mandarin rénsh?n, from Middle Chinese rin ??m : rin, human being, person + ??m, ginseng (the plant perhaps being so called in Middle Chinese because its forked root resembles the human figure).]American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.ginseng (?d??ns??) n1. (Plants) either of two araliaceous plants, Panax schinseng of China or P. quinquefolius of North America, whose forked aromatic roots are used medicinally2. (Plants) the root of either of these plants or a substance obtained from the roots, believed to possess stimulant, tonic, and energy-giving properties[C17: from Mandarin Chinese jen shen, from jen man (from a resemblance of the roots to human legs) + shen ginseng]Collins English Dictionary ? Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014gin?seng (?d??n s??) n. 1. any plant of the genus Panax, having an aromatic root used medicinally. 2. the root itself. 3. a preparation, as tea or extract, made from the root. [1645?55;