cherry

[ cher-ee ]
See synonyms for cherry on Thesaurus.com
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.

  1. the wood of such a tree.

  2. any of various fruits or plants resembling the cherry.

  3. bright red; cerise.

  4. Slang: Often Vulgar.

    • the hymen.

    • the state of virginity.

  5. Slang.

    • something new or unused.

    • a novice.

  6. Underworld Slang. a first offender.

  7. 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.

  1. (of furniture, woodwork, etc.) made of or covered or decorated with wood from the cherry tree.

  2. Slang: Often Vulgar. being a virgin.

  3. Slang.

    • new or unused: a three-year-old car in cherry condition.

    • inexperienced; being an innocent novice.

Origin of cherry

1
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

Other words from cherry

  • cher·ry·like, adjective

Words that may be confused with cherry

Other definitions for Cherry (2 of 2)

Cherry
[ cher-ee ]

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

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use cherry in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for cherry

cherry

/ (ˈtʃɛrɪ) /


nounplural -ries
  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

  1. any of various unrelated plants, such as the ground cherry and Jerusalem cherry

    • a bright red colour; cerise

    • (as adjective): a cherry coat

  2. slang virginity or the hymen as its symbol

  3. (modifier) of or relating to the cherry fruit or wood: cherry tart

Origin of cherry

1
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

Derived forms of cherry

  • cherry-like, adjective

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