cherry

cher·ry | \ ˈcher-ē

, ˈche-rē \

plural cherries

Definition of cherry

1a : 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 sense 2

2 : a variable color averaging a moderate red

3 informal

a : hymen

b : virginity

4 informal : the burning end of a lit cigarette or cigar I'm horrified: Dag is burning holes in the roof of the car with the cherry of his cigarette.— Douglas Coupland "Oh lord. Be quiet and maybe he won't find me. Put out your cigarette, Ryder, he'll see the cherry."— Julie Buntin

Other Words from cherry More Example Sentences Learn More about cherry

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Examples of cherry in a Sentence

The kitchen cabinets are made of cherry.

Recent Examples on the Web The drawbacks hit hard and fast on the Chinese menu, starting with a pu pu platter littered with egg rolls, crab puffs, beef skewers, shrimp toast and chicken wings, garnished with pineapple and maraschino cherries like a hotel bar cocktail. — Mike Sutter, ExpressNews.com, "Zero-star review: Formosa Garden losing its luster as one of San Antonio’s longtime Chinese restaurants," 2 Jan. 2020 And that’s where the story would have ended, except in the middle of it, the governor gave a cherry appointment to the man who was supposed to be investigating him, Attorney General Luther Strange. — al, "Whitmire: Who was the scummiest of them all?," 29 Dec. 2019 For hours afterwards, there were views of Starman in a cherry-red Tesla roadster floating away from Earth. — Eric Berger, Ars Technica, "After an amazing decade in space, these are humanity’s top achievements," 27 Dec. 2019 None of my other cherry varieties have this problem. — oregonlive, "Ask an expert: Oh no! Stink bugs - how do we get rid of them?," 21 Dec. 2019 Scatter cherries over the walnut mixture and sprinkle with a bit more sugar to finish. — The New York Times News Service Syndicate, The Denver Post, "Desserts that bring the party, but not the fuss," 21 Dec. 2019 The original drink was made by splashing some grenadine over a tall glass of ice, then topping it off with ginger ale or lemon-lime soda and, always, a maraschino cherry. — The Good Housekeeping Test Kitchen, Good Housekeeping, "Shirley Temple Drink," 29 Oct. 2019 The bar is made of shou sugi ban wood and Meteorus granite from Brazil, which naturally has a branching cherry blossom pattern. — Samantha Swenson, ELLE Decor, "Pacifique’s Japanese-Inspired Interiors Blend Subtlety and Elegance," 16 Dec. 2019 Even the packaging is gorgeous, tapping into the graffiti and cherry motifs popular in '90s Latinx streetwear culture. — Kelsey Stiegman, Seventeen, "Becky G Just Released Her '90s-Inspired "Hola Chola" Collection With ColourPop Cosmetics," 12 Dec. 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'cherry.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Last Updated

5 Jan 2020

Cite this Entry

“Cherry.” The Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster Inc., https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cherry. Accessed 17 January 2020.

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More Definitions for cherry

cherry

noun

English Language Learners Definition of cherry

: a small round fruit that is usually red or black

: a tree on which this fruit grows

: the wood of a cherry tree

See the full definition for cherry in the English Language Learners Dictionary

cherry

noun

cher·ry | \ ˈcher-ē

plural cherries

Kids Definition of cherry

1 : the small round yellow to deep red smooth-skinned fruit of a tree that is related to the plum tree

2 : a medium red

cherry

noun

cher·ry | \ ˈcher-ē

plural cherries

Medical Definition of cherry

1 : 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 belong to any of several varieties including some cultivated for their fruits or ornamental flowers

2 : the fruit of a cherry

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