cherry

noun

cher·​ry ˈcher-ē 

ˈche-rē

plural cherries

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 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

cherrylike

ˈcher-ē-ˌlīk 

ˈche-rē-

adjective

Examples of cherry in a Sentence

The kitchen cabinets are made of cherry.

Recent Examples on the Web

The specific strain of cherries contains a high concentration of antioxidants, which soak up unwanted chemical byproducts of the day’s exertions. —Jacob Whitehead, New York Times, 12 July 2025

Jimmy Nelson is asking the Savannah Bananas – please, with chocolate syrup and a cherry on top – to come to Northwest Indiana when the Banana Ball Championship League monkeys with its 2026 schedule. —Doug Ross, Chicago Tribune, 12 July 2025

But summer rainfall can cause cherries to become waterlogged and rupture. —David Morgan july 11, CBS News, 11 July 2025

This powdered drink mixture comes in cherry and berry, and both flavors are super tasty, similar to something like a less flavorful Gatorade, or maybe more like a Vitaminwater. —Wired, Wired News, 10 July 2025

Word History

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

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing cherry

• bing cherry
• black cherry
• cherry bomb
• cherry-pick
• cherry picker
• cherry tomato
• ground-cherry
• Jerusalem cherry
• sour cherry
• sweet cherry

Rhymes for cherry

• aerie
• airy
• arie
• barre
• clary
• dairy
• eyrie
• faerie
• faery
• fairy
• ferry
• hairy

Kids Definition

cherry

noun

cher·​ry ˈcher-ē 

plural cherries

1

a

: any of numerous trees and shrubs that are related to the roses and have rather small pale yellow to deep blackish red smooth-skinned fruits

b

: the fruit of a cherry

c

: the reddish brown wood of a cherry

2

: a medium red

Etymology

Middle English chery "a cherry," from early French cherise "the cherry" (mistaken as being a plural), derived from Latin cerasus "cherry tree"

Medical Definition

cherry

noun

cher·​ry ˈcher-ē 

plural cherries

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