cherry

¹

[ cher-ee ]

noun

, plural cher·ries.

1. the fruit of any of various trees belonging to the genus Prunus, of the rose family, consisting of a pulpy, globular drupe enclosing a one-seeded smooth stone.
2. the tree bearing such a fruit.
3. the wood of such a tree.
4. any of various fruits or plants resembling the cherry.
5. bright red; cerise.
6. Slang: Often Vulgar.
   1. the hymen.
   2. the state of virginity.
7. Slang.
   1. something new or unused.
   2. a novice.
8. Underworld Slang. a first offender.
9. Bowling. the striking down of only the forward pin or pins in attempting to make a spare.

adjective

1. bright-red; cerise.
2. (of food and beverages) made with or containing cherries or cherrylike flavoring:

   cherry pie; cherry soda.

3. (of furniture, woodwork, etc.) made of or covered or decorated with wood from the cherry tree.
4. Slang: Often Vulgar. being a virgin.
5. Slang.
   1. new or unused:

      a three-year-old car in cherry condition.

   2. inexperienced; being an innocent novice.

Cherry

²

[ cher-ee ]

noun

1. Donald Eugene Don, 1936–95, U.S. jazz trumpeter.

cherry

/ ˈtʃɛrɪ /

noun

1. any of several trees of the rosaceous genus Prunus, such as P. avium ( sweet cherry ), having a small fleshy rounded fruit containing a hard stone See also bird cherry
2. the fruit or wood of any of these trees
3. any of various unrelated plants, such as the ground cherry and Jerusalem cherry
4. 1. a bright red colour; cerise
   2. ( as adjective )

      a cherry coat

5. slang.
   virginity or the hymen as its symbol
6. modifier of or relating to the cherry fruit or wood

   cherry tart

Derived Forms

• ˈcherry-ˌlike, adjective

Other Words From

• cherry·like adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of cherry¹

1300–50; Middle English cheri variant of chirie, back formation from Old English ciris- (taken for plural) ≪ Vulgar Latin *ceresium for *cerasium ( Latin cerasum ) < Greek kerásion cherry

Word History and Origins

Origin of cherry¹

C14: back formation from Old English ciris (mistakenly thought to be plural), ultimately from Late Latin ceresia, perhaps from Latin cerasus cherry tree, from Greek kerasios

Example Sentences

Holland, also 28, played the lead role in Billy Elliot the Musical in the West End as a child, and has since appeared in Uncharted, Cherry and The Devil All The Time.

From BBC

This led to then-MP Joanna Cherry pulling out of the selection contest for the Edinburgh Central seat, claiming the rule change "hobbled" her in her selection bid.

From BBC

In the meantime, traffic around the site on Cherry Avenue, sandwiched between the 10 and 210 freeways, has snarled.

From Los Angeles Times

Cunningham couldn’t believe Vance didn’t appear at the governor’s annual ice cream social: “You missed Fran’s cherry pies, one of the highlights in Greene County!”

From Salon

The liquid was coming from a broken Cherry Coke machine “spilling like an endless spring,” he recalls, as if coming from “the center of the Earth.”

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• chaste
• pure
• untouched
• virginal
• virtuous