gingerly

• POS: Adjective, Adverb
• HYPHEN: gin=ger=ly

CIDE DICTIONARY

gingerly, adv. [Prov. E. ginger brittle, tender; cf. dial. Sw. gingla, gängla, to go gently, totter, akin to E. gang.].

 Cautiously; timidly; fastidiously; daintily.  [1913 Webster]
"What is't that you took up so gingerly ?"  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

gingerly, adv. & adj.
--adv. in a careful or cautious manner.
--adj. showing great care or caution.

Derivative

gingerliness n.

Etymology

perh. f. OF gensor delicate, compar. of gent graceful f. L genitus (well-)born

THESAURUS

gingerly

calculating, cannily, canny, careful, carefully, cautious, cautiously, charily, chary, circumspect, circumspectly, considerate, daintily, dainty, deliberate, delicate, delicately, discreet, fastidious, guarded, guardedly, heedful, hesitant, judicious, leaving out nothing, mindful, nervous, noncommittal, on guard, overlooking no possibility, pawky, politic, prudent, regardful, safe, shy, shyly, slow to act, squeamish, tentative, tentatively, thorough, timid, timidly, timorous, timorously, unadventurous, uncommunicative, undaring, unenterprising, unprecipitate, warily, wary, watchful

ROGET THESAURUS

gingerly

Moderation

N moderation, lenity, temperateness, gentleness, sobriety, quiet, mental calmness, moderating, anaphrodisia, relaxation, remission, mitigation, tranquilization, assuagement, contemporation, pacification, measure, juste milieu, golden mean, ariston metron, moderator, lullaby, sedative, lenitive, demulcent, antispasmodic, carminative, laudanum, rose water, balm, poppy, opiate, anodyne, milk, opium, poppy or mandragora, wet blanket, palliative, moderate, lenient, gentle, mild, mellow, cool, sober, temperate, reasonable, measured, tempered, calm, unruffled, quiet, tranquil, still, slow, smooth, untroubled, tame, peaceful, peaceable, pacific, halcyon, unexciting, unirritating, soft, bland, oily, demulcent, lenitive, anodyne, hypnotic, sedative, antiorgastic, anaphrodisiac, mild as mother's milk, milk and water, moderately, gingerly, piano, under easy sail, at half speed, within bounds, within compass, in reason, est modue in rebus, pour oil on troubled waters.

Care

N care, solicitude, heed, heedfulness, scruple, watchfulness, vigilance, surveillance, eyes of Argus, watch, vigil, look out, watch and ward, loeil du maitre, alertness, attention, prudence &c, circumspection, anxiety, forethought, precaution, tidiness accuracy, minuteness, attention to detail, careful regardful, heedful, taking care, particular, prudent, considerate, thoughtful, provident, alert, sure-footed, guarded, on one's guard, on the qui vivre, on the alert, on watch, on the lookout, awake, broad awake, vigilant, watchful, wakeful, wistful, Argus-eyed, wide awake, on the watch for (expectant), tidy accurate, scrupulous, cavendo tutus, carefully, with care, gingerly, quis custodiet istos custodes?, who will watch the watchers?, care will kill a cat, ni bebas agua que no veas, O polished perturbation! Golden care!, the incessant care and labor of his mind.