cherub

noun

cher·​ub ˈcher-əb How to pronounce cherub (audio)
ˈche-rəb
plural cherubs or cherubim ˈcher-ə-ˌbim How to pronounce cherub (audio)
ˈker-,
 also  ˈcher-yə-
1
cherubim plural : an order of angels see celestial hierarchy
2
plural usually cherubs
a
: a beautiful usually winged child in painting and sculpture
b
: an innocent-looking usually chubby and rosy person
This torrent of arcane football lingo spewed from the lips of a red-haired, freckle-faced cherubTim Layden
cherubic
chə-ˈrü-bik How to pronounce cherub (audio)
 also  ˈcher-ə-
adjective
cherubically adverb
cherublike adjective

Examples of cherub in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web There is no trace here of the pubescent figure with noticeable nipples or of the decorative, soft-cheeked cherub. Farah Peterson, The Atlantic, 14 Dec. 2023 After the ceremony, Shawn and Matt snuck away to read private vows to each other as guests walked across the grounds to Cranbrook House for cocktails, picking off bites of the cheese urns underneath the school’s stone cherub statues. Jocelyn Silver, Vogue, 12 Dec. 2023 Did your sister really give you a plaster cherub with a clock in its stomach? Jacobina Martin, Washington Post, 1 Jan. 2024 Mendoza stopped to eye a pair of fat-cheeked cherubs carved from wood. Rachel Monroe, The New Yorker, 9 Nov. 2023 The finds included chandeliers, a bronze cherub from the ship’s grand staircase, and 65 perfume vials belonging to a first-class passenger. Catherine Porter, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2023 City Hall has stood in downtown Milwaukee since 1895 and features numerous terra cotta sculptures of cherubs, faces and animals. Claire Reid, Journal Sentinel, 25 July 2023 Renovations in the ’70s and ’80s left it in a woefully gaudy state, with details and decorations (including a trompe-l’oeil mural of a leopard and cherubs) that did more to hide the beauty of the home’s structure than to highlight it. Camille Okhio, ELLE Decor, 3 Aug. 2023 The whimsical creation is clad in 25,000 ceramic tiles (manufactured in Vasconcelos’s native Lisbon) and adorned with ceramic cherubs, dolphins and a water feature. Kin Woo Gisela Williams Alexa Brazilian Juan A. Ramírez Juliet Izon Eric Margolis, New York Times, 15 June 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'cherub.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Latin, from Greek cheroub, from Hebrew kĕrūbh

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of cherub was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near cherub

Cite this Entry

“Cherub.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cherub. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

cherub

noun
cher·​ub ˈcher-əb How to pronounce cherub (audio)
1
: a painting or drawing of a beautiful child usually with wings
2
: a chubby rosy child
cherubic adjective

More from Merriam-Webster on cherub

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