Main Entry: cher·ry

Pronunciation: \ˈcher-ē, ˈche-rē\

Function: noun

Inflected Form(s): plural cherries

Etymology: Middle English chery, from Anglo-French cherise, cirice (taken as a plural), from Late Latin ceresia, from Latin cerasus cherry tree, from Greek kerasos

Date: 14th century

1 a : any of numerous trees and shrubs (genus Prunus) of the rose family that bear pale yellow to deep red or blackish smooth-skinned drupes enclosing a smooth seed and that include some cultivated for their fruits or ornamental flowers — compare sour cherry, sweet cherry b : the fruit of a cherry c : the reddish-brown wood of a cherry; especially : black cherry 2
2 : a variable color averaging a moderate red
3 a : hymen b : virginity

— cher·ry·like \-ˌlīk\ adjective