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perry

1 American  
[per-ee] / ˈpɛr i /

noun

plural

perries
  1. a fermented beverage similar to cider, made from the juice of pears.


Perry 2 American  
[per-ee] / ˈpɛr i /

noun

  1. Antoinette, 1888–1946, U.S. actress, theatrical manager, and producer.

  2. Bliss, 1860–1954, U.S. educator, literary critic, and editor.

  3. Frederick John Fred, 1909–1995, British tennis player.

  4. Matthew Calbraith 1794–1858, U.S. commodore.

  5. his brother Oliver Hazard, 1785–1819, U.S. naval officer.

  6. Ralph Barton, 1876–1957, U.S. philosopher and educator.

  7. a male given name: from a Middle English word meaning “pear tree.”


Perry 1 British  
/ ˈpɛrɪ /

noun

  1. Fred ( erick John ). 1909–95, English tennis and table-tennis player; world singles table-tennis champion (1929); as a tennis player he won eight Grand Slam singles titles including the US Open three times (1933–34, 1936) and Wimbledon three times (1934–36)

  2. Grayson . born 1960, English potter, embroiderer, and film-maker; won the Turner Prize (2003).

  3. Matthew Calbraith. 1794–1858, US naval officer, who led a naval expedition to Japan that obtained a treaty (1854) opening up Japan to western trade

  4. his brother, Oliver Hazard. 1785–1819, US naval officer. His defeat of a British squadron on Lake Erie (1813) was the turning point in the War of 1812, leading to the recapture of Detroit

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

perry 2 British  
/ ˈpɛrɪ /

noun

  1. alcoholic drink made of pears, similar in taste to cider

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of perry

1275–1325; Middle English pereye < Middle French perey, variant of pere ≪ Vulgar Latin *pirātum ( Latin pir ( a ) pear + -ātum, neuter of -ātus -ate 1 )

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

"I hope Matthew perry is okay. He doesn’t look so good man," one user wrote.

From Fox News • May 20, 2021

Cider – and perry – should be celebrated in its own right as a fine British drink that was enjoyed long before English wine was ever A Thing.

From The Guardian • Jun. 12, 2020

The orchard has about 6,000 trees, including more than 20 varieties of traditional European and early American cider apples and perry pears.

From Seattle Times • Sep. 25, 2018

“For me, perry is always a more complex drink than apple cider,” he said.

From New York Times • Aug. 18, 2017

Fruit is very abundant, especially apples and pears, from which much cider and perry are made.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 9, Slice 8 "Ethiopia" to "Evangelical Association" by Various