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 22: a variable color averaging a moderate red3 a: hymen b: virginity

— cher·ry·like \-ˌlīk\ adjective